US Senator Marco Rubio has confirmed that Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is alive and involved in the country's affairs despite remaining out of public view.
Khamenei, 56, was wounded in US-Israeli attacks on Iran earlier this year and has been directing state affairs through encrypted audio communications and a courier network.
Rubio's comments came as diplomatic efforts to end the war remain deadlocked, with the US still seeing an opening for an agreement with Tehran.
The US secretary of state outlined conditions that Iran would have to meet before any sanctions relief could be considered, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and agreeing to severe and long-term limitations on enrichment activity.
