Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, is reportedly living in hiding and relying on a highly secretive courier network to communicate with senior officials, according to a CBS News report. The development comes amid continuing fears of assassination following the recent conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Reports claim Khamenei was injured during US and Israeli strikes carried out under Operation Epic Fury. He has not appeared publicly or been officially heard from since before the war began.

According to the report, Khamenei is currently staying at an undisclosed secure location with extremely limited access to communication. US intelligence officials told CBS News that the only way messages reach him is through what they described as a “labyrinth of couriers”. The arrangement has reportedly created major difficulties for communication between Tehran and Washington during ongoing peace negotiations.

The report stated that Iranian officials involved in talks with the Trump administration are finding it difficult to directly contact the Supreme Leader. This communication gap is said to be one of the key reasons why details of possible agreements between Iran and the US have taken a long time to emerge. Officials said that whenever Washington sends a fresh proposal, it often takes significant time before the message reaches Khamenei and a response is sent back.

The White House has refused to comment on intelligence related to Khamenei’s location or the methods being used by Iran’s leadership to communicate internally. However, a senior Trump administration official told CBS that Khamenei had already agreed to the basic framework of the current draft deal before US President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he expected a final response within the next few days.

The report further claimed that the Iranian leader has taken extreme precautions after several senior Iranian figures were reportedly targeted during the conflict. Media reports suggested that Khamenei is trying to avoid attacks similar to the ones that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who led Iran from 1989 until February 28.

US and Israeli intelligence operations reportedly played a major role during the war. One official told CBS that American and Israeli forces used information gathered from inside Iran’s government to identify and eliminate several senior members of the Iranian leadership. Because of this, many Iranian leaders are now avoiding public appearances and staying inside heavily fortified underground bunkers for extended periods.

The report said communication among top Iranian leaders has become extremely restricted. Officials reportedly speak to each other only when absolutely necessary because of fears that electronic surveillance or intelligence leaks could expose their locations. One official described the situation by saying, “Watching them try to figure out how to talk to each other is almost like watching a sitcom. They are completely exasperated.”

Among all members of the leadership, Mojtaba Khamenei is reportedly following the strictest security measures. According to CBS, even senior Iranian officials do not know his exact location and cannot contact him directly. Messages are being delivered through a carefully managed courier network designed specifically to hide where he is staying.

One official explained how the system has slowed decision-making during negotiations. “This is why you see people saying things like, 'The supreme leader has agreed to the framework,' or 'We're waiting to hear back on the final deal points.' Every piece of information he receives is dated, and there's a lot of latency to his responses,” the official said.

Despite the communication delays, the report said Khamenei has already given broad directions to his negotiators. He has reportedly informed his team about the main terms they can discuss with the United States and clearly outlined which subjects should not be negotiated under any circumstances.

The situation highlights the level of tension still surrounding Iran’s leadership after the conflict. The fear of targeted strikes appears to have changed the way top officials operate, communicate and negotiate. While diplomatic talks between Tehran and Washington continue, the unusual communication system around Mojtaba Khamenei is reportedly creating long delays and uncertainty during the process.