A classified intelligence briefing reportedly suggested that Iran's newly installed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, may be homosexual, an explosive allegation in a country where same-sex relations are criminalised and can, in some cases, be punished by death.
The allegation surfaced shortly after Khamenei assumed power in March 2026 following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during a regional conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
