Iran International reports that communications between Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and senior officials were disrupted beginning Sunday night as missile strikes toward Israel occurred. A source told the outlet the strikes may have followed pre-established military protocols rather than direct orders from Khamenei's office, noting the IRGC's unusually rapid response. The outlet also reported that Khamenei was severely wounded in February strikes, has not appeared publicly, and that three written statements attributed to him were read in May and June. These claims remain attributed to the outlet's sources and are not independently verified here.
Reports: Communications Between Khamenei's Office And IRGC Disrupted; Missile Strikes May Have Followed Standing Protocols
An Iranian woman walks next to an anti-Israeli mural on a street in Tehran, Iran, May 26, 2026. (photo credit: MAJID ASGARIPOUR/WANA (WEST ASIA NEWS AGENCY) VIA REUTERS)
London-based outlet Iran International reports that communication lines linking Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, and other senior Iranian officials were disrupted beginning Sunday night, coinciding with missile launches toward Israel.
Source Claims and Military Timing
A source familiar with the escalation told Iran International that recent missile strikes late Sunday and again Monday morning were likely carried out under 'pre-established military protocols' rather than through direct coordination with the supreme leader's office. The source added that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) response to an Israeli strike on Dahiyeh in southern Beirut appeared too rapid to have awaited exchanges between Khamenei and IRGC or military chiefs.
Iranians stand next to a symbol of a Kheibar missile as they take part during a rally in support of the country's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and commemorate Eid al-Ghadir in Tehran on June 4, 2026. (credit: AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)
Reports About the Supreme Leader's Condition and Public Visibility
The outlet also reported that Khamenei was severely wounded during Israeli strikes on Tehran on February 28, at the outset of what has been called Operation Roaring Lion. According to Iran International, he has not made a public appearance since then, and the outlet has reported that he reportedly succeeded his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as supreme leader in early March. These claims have been presented as reports and attributed to the outlet's sources.
Statements Attributed To Khamenei
Iran International noted that officials read at least three written statements in May and June that were attributed to Khamenei. Those attributed messages included:
- May 1: A declaration that the 'noble' Iranian population would safeguard the country's nuclear and missile technologies as 'national assets.'
- May 26: A warning that 'the nations and lands of the region will no longer serve as shields for American bases,' a passage that also denounced Israel as the 'shaky Zionist regime and cancerous tumor' and praised Hezbollah's 'resistance.'
- June 4: An attributed statement asserting that Israel and the United States were attempting to sow division within Iran by 'spreading doubt, fear, despair, mistrust, and division within society,' and alleging a shift in strategy by Israel after a 'military setback.'
Context And Caution
These reports come from a single London-based outlet described as anti-regime; the claims about Khamenei's injury, succession, and the degree of direct coordination for recent military actions have not been independently verified in open-source reporting. Readers should treat the attributions and reported injuries as unconfirmed until corroborated by additional reliable sources.
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