Women walk past a banner depicting Iran's current supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei along a street Tehran on May 6, 2026. (AFP)
U.S. intelligence agencies believe Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is involved in shaping Tehran's wartime strategy and negotiations with Washington despite remaining out of public view following injuries sustained during the war, according to a CNN report on May 8.
The report, citing sources familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments, said uncertainty remains about how much authority Khamenei currently exercises within the Iranian leadership structure after attacks in the war killed several senior officials, including his father.
U.S. officials reportedly believe Khamenei has continued to communicate through trusted couriers and in-person contacts while recovering from injuries that include burns and shrapnel wounds.
Iranian officials, meanwhile, insisted he is recovering well. Mazaher Hosseini, the head of protocol in the office of the supreme leader, said Friday that Khamenei's condition has improved and dismissed speculation surrounding his health.
The report also said U.S. intelligence assessments found Iran's military capabilities had been weakened but not eliminated by American strikes, with many missile launchers still operational.
It added that senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf are believed to be handling much of the government’s day-to-day operations as diplomatic efforts with the Trump administration continue.
