Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is in good health and continues to direct the country’s affairs despite remaining out of public view since the US-Israeli strikes that killed his father and triggered the war, a senior Iranian diplomat has said.

Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, a representative of the supreme leader, said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had held a seven-hour meeting with Khamenei last week. Speaking at the NDTV World Summit in New Delhi on October 23, Ilahi offered the latest official assurance about the leader’s condition as questions persist over his whereabouts and role in wartime decision-making.

“He is benefiting from very good health and he’s working very nicely,” Ilahi said, adding that friends who had met Khamenei had also assured him that the leader was “very, very, very healthy”. However, Khamenei has yet to make a public appearance or release a directly recorded audio or video message since becoming supreme leader.

Iranian diplomat cites security concerns to explain leader’s absence

Ilahi attributed Khamenei’s prolonged absence from the media to security concerns, rejecting speculation that the leader was missing or unable to perform his duties.

“Due to the security till now he didn’t come to the media and no one see him,” he said.

The diplomat also disputed reports that Khamenei had been absent from the funeral ceremonies for his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which culminated in July.

“Even he participated in the funeral of his father. At that time I was in Iran. I met two of his brothers. Mojtaba Khamenei was there also,” Ilahi said.

He further claimed that the supreme leader occasionally went out at night and had participated in public demonstrations. He did not provide photographs or other publicly verifiable evidence to substantiate those claims.

Mojtaba Khamenei has remained out of public view since the February 28 US-Israeli strikes that killed his father on the first day of the war. He was appointed supreme leader shortly afterwards and has communicated through written statements since then.

Iranian officials have maintained that he remains in charge, conducting meetings with senior figures and taking key decisions while restricting his exposure to potential assassination attempts.

Questions over Iran’s wartime command persist

The assurances come as Iran faces mounting military, diplomatic and economic pressures during the conflict. Khamenei’s absence has intensified questions about how authority is exercised in a political system in which the supreme leader holds ultimate power over major state and security decisions.

Iranian state media reported in August that Pezeshkian had met Khamenei in late July to discuss military affairs and economic management, including resource allocation, foreign exchange, energy consumption and economic ties with international partners. The reported meeting followed differing public remarks by the president about access to the supreme leader.

In July, Pezeshkian said interactions with Khamenei were increasing. In early August, however, he described communication with the leader as “very difficult”, adding to uncertainty over the chain of command.

US President Donald Trump has also questioned who is directing Iran. Earlier this month, he said the country’s leadership had been severely weakened by the war and that it was unclear who was running the government.

US Vice President JD Vance said Washington was in talks with Pezeshkian and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, but acknowledged uncertainty over the extent of their authority within Iran’s power structure.

Iranian officials have rejected suggestions that the country’s decision-making system is unclear to foreign governments.

The distinction between official assurances and publicly verifiable evidence remains central to the dispute. While Ilahi says Khamenei is healthy, meeting senior officials and continuing to perform his duties, the prolonged absence of any public appearance has left his condition and the precise mechanics of wartime leadership difficult to independently assess.

For Tehran, demonstrating continuity at the highest level of government is particularly important during a conflict that has reshaped its leadership and placed extraordinary pressure on the country’s institutions.

FAQs

1. Why has Mojtaba Khamenei not appeared in public?

Iranian diplomat Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi attributed the absence to security concerns. Khamenei has not appeared publicly since the February 28 strikes that killed his father and reportedly injured him.

2. What did the Iranian diplomat say about Khamenei’s health?

Ilahi said Khamenei was in very good health and continuing to perform his duties. He cited a reported seven-hour meeting with President Masoud Pezeshkian the previous week.

3. Did Mojtaba Khamenei attend his father’s funeral?

Ilahi said he was in Iran and that Khamenei attended the funeral ceremonies. The diplomat did not provide publicly verifiable evidence of the claim in the reported remarks.

4. Who is running Iran during the war?

Iranian officials maintain that Khamenei remains in control, while Pezeshkian and other senior figures handle government responsibilities. The precise division of authority is difficult to independently establish because the supreme leader has remained out of public view.

5. When did Mojtaba Khamenei become Iran’s supreme leader?

He was appointed after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026.