President Donald Trump said he would be open to meeting Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, signaling a potential shift in tone toward Tehran even as uncertainty persists over the Iranian leader’s health and his role in the country’s post-conflict political structure.
In remarks cited by Agence France-Presse, Trump suggested that a future meeting was possible, depending on how diplomatic and security conditions evolve in the coming months.
“I want to meet him, and we may meet at some point, depending on how everything goes,” Trump said in the interview.
The comments come amid continued volatility in US-Iran relations following a period of military escalation earlier this year, including a joint US-Israeli strike campaign in late February that reshaped Iran’s political and security leadership.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who is widely believed to have assumed a central leadership role following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has not appeared publicly since the attacks. Reports surrounding his condition remain unverified and often contradictory, with limited official confirmation from Iranian authorities.
Trump said he had received information suggesting that Mojtaba Khamenei’s health had deteriorated following the strikes.
“I haven’t heard that he is doing well,” Trump said. “If you believe the stories, he’s been badly wounded.”
The US president did not provide details on the source of the information, and neither US intelligence agencies nor Iranian officials have released verified medical assessments of the Supreme Leader’s condition.
Confusion surrounding Iran’s leadership structure has persisted since the February strikes, which reportedly killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and left a significant gap at the top of Iran’s clerical and political hierarchy.
In the aftermath, Mojtaba Khamenei has been widely described in regional reporting and intelligence assessments as a key figure in managing internal coordination and external negotiations, although his exact authority remains unclear.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously commented on the evolving situation in Iran’s leadership, offering a more detailed but still cautious assessment during testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Rubio said there were indications that Mojtaba Khamenei remained alive and was increasingly involved in decision-making processes within the Iranian state apparatus.
“There are indications out there that he is becoming more involved at some level, although all of his communications have been written or conducted through intermediaries,” Rubio told lawmakers, according to remarks cited by Al Jazeera.
Rubio also suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei had begun playing a more direct role in Iran’s engagement with Washington following a cease-fire agreement reached on April 8, though he emphasized that much of Iran’s diplomatic communication continued to be indirect.
Despite these claims, Iranian officials have not publicly confirmed any direct participation by Mojtaba Khamenei in ongoing negotiations with the United States. Since the cease-fire, Tehran has maintained a cautious diplomatic posture, signaling willingness to review proposals while avoiding direct high-level engagement.
At the same time, Iran is currently reviewing a revised US proposal aimed at reshaping the framework for negotiations over ending hostilities and stabilizing regional security arrangements.
According to Mehr News Agency, a semi-official Iranian outlet, sources close to the country’s negotiating team said Tehran was still studying the latest version of the American proposal and had not held direct communications with US officials for several days.
The proposal, reportedly updated under the Trump administration, is said to include stricter conditions on Iran’s nuclear and regional activities, reflecting Washington’s attempt to secure more comprehensive concessions in any future agreement.
Iranian officials have not publicly detailed the contents of the proposal, but analysts familiar with the negotiations say the document represents a more rigid negotiating posture from Washington compared with earlier drafts.
The uncertainty surrounding both the leadership of Iran and the trajectory of US-Iran diplomacy has created a highly fluid geopolitical environment, with multiple actors attempting to interpret signals from both Washington and Tehran.
Trump’s remarks suggesting openness to a meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei add another layer of ambiguity to an already complex diplomatic landscape, particularly given the lack of clarity over who currently holds ultimate decision-making authority in Tehran.
If such a meeting were to take place, it would mark one of the most significant direct engagements between the United States and Iran’s post-war leadership structure in years, potentially reshaping diplomatic dynamics across the Middle East.
For now, however, no formal negotiations or meeting arrangements have been announced, and both sides appear to be operating through indirect channels while assessing each other’s positions.
The evolving situation underscores the fragility of the current post-conflict order and the extent to which diplomacy, intelligence assessments, and military developments remain tightly interwoven in shaping the next phase of US-Iran relations.
As both Washington and Tehran continue to evaluate their strategic options, Trump’s comments highlight the possibility of future engagement, even as fundamental questions about Iran’s leadership and stability remain unresolved.
