Marco Rubio Breaks Silence on Mojtaba Khamenei’s Health, Suggests Iran Leader Remains Active Behind the Scenes: ‘We Haven’t Seen Him Publicly…’

US-IRAN WAR: Ever since the conflict began, the leader of Iran, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has not made a public appearance; the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has fielded questions from reporters. He also recalled signs of intelligence activity indicating that Khamenei is involved in decision-making, although he was wounded in the war. In the case of Mojtaba Khamenei, Marco Rubio said he was not sure if it was “recommended” for them internally to be public, given that many have been killed.

Is Mojtaba Khamenei alive? Marco Rubio drops a big hint

“We haven’t seen him in public, and I would imagine I think you would have to be very careful about being very public, Marco Rubio said. “But there’s some evidence out there that he is doing more and more at some level, though he’s done everything through the go-between of writing or whatever, but it’s there,” the United States Secretary of State added.

These were the observations during heavy international pressure against Mojtaba Khamenei’s apparent health condition: since his serious injury on 28 February, he has not appeared in public, raising fears of the weakness of Iran’s leadership structure. The US Secretary of State also backed Washington’s military stance against Iran, claiming Iran had been trying to build its conventional arms arsenal as a “shield” to protect its quest for nuclear weapons.

At the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, Rubio testified that recent American military strikes had severely limited Iran’s military power, making its conventional forces “essentially defenceless against action. What they attempted to do is … they were going to try to build a traditional shield, and they were going to hide behind that traditional shield,” Rubio told lawmakers.

Mojtaba Khamenei for Iranians 

Mojtaba Khamenei had a clear message for Iranians: he blames the US and Israel for trying to weaken the Islamic Republic by hitting it on all fronts, i.e. military, economic, and political. “After the war they forced on us, all the economic pressure, and the constant propaganda and isolation, the enemy’s new game is all about dividing us. They want to break our unity and bring the nation to its knees because they’ve failed with military action,” he said.

He also called on Iranians not to fall for these tactics, urging everyone to stick together, especially now, as outside pressure grows. These comments come as Khamenei himself stays under the radar. A CBS report last month said he’s currently in hiding, relying on couriers to get his messages out. Not even top Iranian officials know where he is. His statement lands at a tense moment. The April 8 ceasefire, which Pakistan helped broker, is starting to fray. Fighting has picked up again, and ongoing disputes between Iran and the United States are stalling any real chance at new talks.

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