President Donald Trump said his administration is not negotiating with new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in Iran, reaffirming talks are ongoing despite Tehran's rejection.
Speaking to press in Florida, Trump said "we've wiped out the leadership" of Iran but officials are currently dealing with a man who he believes to be "the most respected leader" at the moment.
Asked if that person is the supreme leader, Trump said no. "Nobody heard of the second supreme leader. We have not heard of him. We don't know if he's living," he added.
.@POTUS: "We're dealing with the man who, I believe, is the most respected and the 'leader.' It's a little tough — we've wiped out everybody."
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 23, 2026
REPORTER: "Is that the Supreme Leader?"@POTUS: "No." pic.twitter.com/cdAgT4jljP
.Different reports have claimed that U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies have information suggesting that Khamenei is wounded but alive as Iranian officials continue to request meetings with Khamenei, even if they are unsuccessful due to security concerns.
It is unclear whether he is involved in any of the decisions being made by the Iranian regime at the moment. "It's beyond weird. We don't think the Iranians would have gone through all this trouble to choose a dead guy as the supreme leader, but at the same time, we have no proof that he is taking the helm," a U.S. official told Axios during the weekend.
There was speculation about the possibility that Khamenei could deliver an address last Friday during Norwuz, as his father had the tradition of giving a new year's address. However, only a written statement attributed to him was released.
Elsewhere, The Washington Post noted that Khamenei is isolated and not responding to messages. Despite this, the outlet added, the regime is not currently showing any signs of cracking, with clerics and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps further consolidating their grip on the country over the past month.
The outlet went on to say that the body saying it was "impatiently waiting" for the arrival of U.S. troops illustrates how it has taken over the decision-making process in the country. Mehr, a semiofficial news agency, added that Tehran is prepared to give troops a "close-up view of naval surprises" should troops effectively seek to conduct operations in the country.
Trump on Sunday postponed a deadline to strike Iranian energy facilities if Iran doesn't open up the Strait of Hormuz, citing productive conversations between the countries over the past two days.
Tehran rejected any conversations were taking place, claiming Trump's remarks were aimed at tampering with oil prices and "buying time" for future military action. Iran has said it will target energy facilities across the region if the U.S. targets its own.
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