US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Washington has no evidence that Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is dead, but pointedly stopped short of confirming he retains the authority to lead the country through the ongoing war and nuclear negotiations.
Speaking in a Fox News interview on Monday, Rubio said: “We have indications that he is alive. Obviously they claim that he is. We don’t have evidence that he’s not.” But he immediately drew a distinction that has significant implications for the stalled US-Iran talks. “I think the question between alive and in power are two different questions. You can be alive — but I think the unresolved questions here are does he have the same credibility as his father did,” Rubio said.
Rubio also suggested that Iran’s peace proposal may not have the backing of all factions jostling for influence in Tehran. “I think there are still questions about whether the person submitting it had the authority to submit that offer,” he said. Nonetheless, Rubio said he believed the Iranians “are serious about getting themselves out of the mess that they’re in.”
Why the question matters
Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in any video or audio recording since strikes hit his father’s residential compound at the start of the war on February 28, 2026. His first address to the nation was read on state-run media some two weeks after his appointment, and since then only written statements released through official channels have appeared in his name.
International media outlets citing Iranian officials have reported Mojtaba Khamenei sustained serious injuries in the February 28 attack but remained mentally alert. Reports said he underwent multiple surgeries on his legs and arms and struggled to speak due to severe burns to his face and lips. Reuters separately cited unnamed sources saying he was participating in meetings via audio conferencing and remained engaged in decision-making on the war and negotiations.
The mural that fuelled the speculation
The latest round of speculation was triggered by a mural unveiled in Mashhad titled “Martyrs of the Epic Struggle”, which depicted Mojtaba Khamenei alongside figures confirmed dead — including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Qassem Soleimani and former President Ebrahim Raisi. Iranian authorities have not commented on the mural, and Tasnim News Agency, affiliated with the IRGC, referred to Khamenei in a recent post as the “martyred leader of the revolution” — a slip that further deepened public uncertainty.
Putin’s message
Adding another dimension to the episode, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that he had received a written message from Mojtaba Khamenei and publicly conveyed his appreciation during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in St Petersburg. “Please convey to the Supreme Leader my appreciation for his message and my best wishes for his good health and well-being,” Putin said, according to a Kremlin readout.
Rubio separately flagged that the fractured nature of Iran’s internal decision-making was complicating negotiations. “Our negotiators aren’t just negotiating with Iranians. Those Iranians then have to negotiate with other Iranians in order to figure out what they can agree to, what they can offer, what they’re willing to do, even who they’re willing to meet with,” he said.
Whether Mojtaba Khamenei is alive, injured, or dead remains one of the most consequential unanswered questions of the two-month-old conflict — and Washington, for now, appears no more certain of the answer than the rest of the world.