Iranian ambassador to the United Nations said the country’s new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is “safe” and is “leading the country.” Khamenei has not made any public appearances.
Khamenei is “announcing his decisions and positions in different statements,” said the country’s U.N. ambassador, Ali Bahreini, in a video interview with The Associated Press, published Thursday.
“The political structure in Iran is working very well,” he said. “The leader is doing his job, but because of the specific situation we are in now, of course, there are some security arrangements which are very necessary for this particular time.”
Bahreini did not provide any additional details about Khamenei’s health or whereabouts. He was named as the country’s top leader earlier this month, coming weeks after his father, former longtime leader Ali Khamenei, was killed in U.S.–Israeli airstrikes on Feb. 28 as the operation was launched.
Since he was named as the country’s new leader, Khamenei has released multiple statements, including one earlier this month indicating that Iran would continue to effectively block the Strait of Hormuz and would continue to attack other Middle Eastern nations that house U.S. military assets.
Referring to Khamenei, Trump said the government has “not heard from the son” and added that “every once in a while you’ll see a statement made [by Khamenei], but we don’t know if he’s living” or not.
“Nobody’s exactly looking forward to being the head of that particular country,” the president said, adding, “but perhaps we’ll be able to solve that problem.”
Since the conflict started, oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have essentially been ground to a halt and have driven up oil and energy prices worldwide. Over the past weekend, Trump warned the U.S. military would, in 48 hours, launch strikes against the country’s energy infrastructure if talks were not initiated, although he announced the deadline would be pushed back.
Trump on Thursday again extended his deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and said talks to end the war are “going very well,” although Iran continues to publicly insist it is not negotiating with the White House.
“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well.”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, through state-run media website Tasnim News, also on Friday warned residents of Middle Eastern countries to stay away from U.S. military assets, indicating that the country would soon launch strikes at those positions.
