Iran’s supreme leader hiding in secret bunker, relying on maze of couriers amid peace talks
WASHINGTON, DC: US Intelligence officials say Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is effectively hiding in an undisclosed location and communicating only through a maze of couriers as negotiations with President Donald Trump drag on amid fears of fresh US and Israeli strikes.
The secrecy around Khamenei has reportedly slowed talks between Tehran and the Trump administration. A senior administration official said Sunday, May 24, that the supreme leader had agreed to the “contours” of a draft deal, while Trump posted on Truth Social that final word could come within days.
Iran leaders cut off underground
According to US officials familiar with intelligence assessments, Iranian officials involved in negotiations have struggled to communicate “inside of their own government system,” making it difficult for Washington to get timely responses on proposed deal terms, as per a source.
“When the US sends proposed details, the difficulty in reaching the supreme leader means there can be a long delay before the US receives a response,” two officials said.
Khamenei, who was reportedly injured during US and Israeli strikes carried out in Operation Epic Fury has not been publicly seen or heard from since before the war began. Officials said he is taking “extreme measures” to avoid suffering the same fate as his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed earlier this year.
US and Israeli intelligence reportedly penetrated deep inside Iran’s government structure during the conflict, allowing strikes that wiped out much of the country’s senior leadership.
“At this point, most Iranian leaders don't see daylight, spending weeks inside highly fortified bunkers and avoiding speaking to each other unless absolutely necessary,” the sources said.
One US official described the communication breakdown inside Tehran in unusually blunt terms, saying, “Watching them try to figure out how to talk to each other is almost like watching a sitcom. They are completely exasperated.”
Trump pushes slow-moving deal
Officials said even top Iranian government figures do not know where Khamenei is hiding and cannot contact him directly. Instead, messages are relayed through a tightly controlled courier network designed to conceal his location.
“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,’” one official said. “Every piece of information he receives is dated and there's a lot of latency to his responses.”
Trump said over the weekend that negotiators were told “not to rush into a deal,” even after earlier claiming an agreement had been “largely negotiated.” The proposed framework reportedly includes a 60-day ceasefire extension and further talks over Iran’s nuclear program.
The negotiations have already sparked divisions among Republicans. Sen Ted Cruz called the reported agreement “a disastrous mistake,” while Sen Roger Wicker warned that a ceasefire could erase gains made during Operation Epic Fury.
But Rep Mike Lawler defended the administration’s approach, saying the US had managed to “force the remnants of this regime into a negotiation, a real negotiation”.
