U.S. Intelligence Reports Iran's Supreme Leader Using Couriers for Communications

U.S. officials familiar with the matter. Officials at the highest levels of the Iranian government do not know his location and cannot contact him directly, the same officials said. Messages are passed through couriers to keep his whereabouts hidden.

The courier system has created delays in negotiations between Iran and the United States. U.S. sends proposed terms, responses take longer because the supreme leader must be reached through the courier network, two officials said. A senior administration official stated Sunday that the supreme leader had agreed to the outlines of a current draft agreement.

President Trump posted on Truth Social that he expected final word within the next few days. A White House spokesperson declined to comment on intelligence regarding the supreme leader's location or Iranian internal communications.

U.S. and Israeli strikes during Operation Epic Fury. He has not appeared in public since before the conflict began. U.S. and Israeli intelligence obtained from inside Iran has allowed targeting of senior Iranian leaders during the war, one official said.

Most Iranian leaders now remain inside fortified bunkers and limit direct contact, the sources added. One official described the difficulty Iranian officials face in reaching each other: "Watching them try to figure out how to talk to each other is almost like watching a sitcom.

" The supreme leader has given broad guidance to subordinates on which issues can be negotiated and which cannot, according to the officials.