Khamenei sidestepped in Iran-Israel ceasefire decision

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was not involved in the negotiations or approval of the recent ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel, according to information obtained by Iran International.

Decision-making regarding the truce was handled instead by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and President Masoud Pezeshkian, who moved swiftly to respond to a ceasefire proposal from US President Donald Trump.

A source familiar with the details of the deliberations told Iran International that the council intended to respond quickly to the American proposal. However, at the time, there was no opportunity to contact Khamenei. The ceasefire was therefore approved and communicated without the supreme leader’s knowledge.

In recent days, Khamenei’s communication capabilities have been severely limited due to security concerns, particularly fears of an attack on his location.

Iran International previously reported that Khamenei and close family members, including his son Mojtaba, were relocated to a secure bunker in Lavizan, northeast Tehran, soon after the conflict began.

Earlier this month, Iran International reported that Khamenei had transferred key decision-making powers to the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shortly after the start of the attacks by Israel. The transfer of authority was viewed as a precautionary step to ensure continuity of command in the event of an escalation or direct threat to the leader’s safety.

Iran has not officially confirmed the location of the Supreme Leader or the details of the internal deliberations surrounding the ceasefire.

First message after ceasefire

Earlier in the day, Khamenei released his first public message since the ceasefire took effect on Tuesday, delivering a televised address in which he declared victory over Israel and said the United States was dealt a blow during the conflict.

“The Zionist regime, with all its noise and claims, was nearly brought to its knees,” he said. “The United States gained nothing and received a harsh slap in return.”

The setting of Thursday’s video matched earlier wartime messages, suggesting he remains in the same secure location.

Trump had previously posted on Truth Social that the US knew where Khamenei was hiding, describing him as an “easy target” and warning that American patience was “wearing thin.”

However, in remarks following the ceasefire announcement, Trump adopted a more measured tone, suggesting that “regime change takes chaos,” and adding, “we don’t want to see so much chaos, so we’ll see how it does.”

He also confirmed that the US is preparing for a new round of talks with Iran in the coming week.