Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has remained inside the country since his March 2026 appointment following his father’s death in U.S.-Israeli strikes, with officials citing security needs amid ongoing conflict and assassination risks. Recent statements from President Masoud Pezeshkian on September 12, 2026, reaffirmed that Khamenei is alive, exercising authority, and in a protected location whose secrecy is treated as essential, while denying external speculation about his condition. No verified reports indicate departure from Iranian territory, and earlier rumors of medical evacuation abroad were rejected by regime sources. Traders assess low odds of exit by near-term deadlines because his role demands domestic continuity, wartime decision-making occurs through limited channels from within Iran, and any movement would face extreme logistical and political barriers in the current environment.