President Donald Trump reportedly reacted with surprise and laughter after being briefed by U.S. intelligence that Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, may be gay.
The intelligence briefing took place last week, according to multiple sources familiar with the discussion.
Officials said the claim is considered credible by U.S. intelligence agencies and was not viewed as disinformation.
Trump reportedly laughed aloud during the briefing when the information was presented.
Others in the room also reacted with amusement, with one senior intelligence official reportedly continuing to joke about the revelation afterward.
Sources say the intelligence suggests Mojtaba Khamenei may have had a long-term relationship with a man who served as his childhood tutor.
Another source said the relationship may have involved a former employee connected to the Khamenei family.
U.S. officials reportedly do not have photographic evidence confirming the claim.
However, sources familiar with the intelligence say it came from a highly protected source considered reliable.
“The fact that this was elevated to the highest levels shows there is confidence in the information,” one source said.
The issue has reportedly circulated quietly inside Iran for years.
According to sources, rumors about Mojtaba Khamenei’s personal life surfaced following the 2024 helicopter crash that killed Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
Raisi had been widely viewed as a leading candidate to eventually succeed Ali Khamenei as Iran’s supreme leader.
After the elder Khamenei was killed in a February 28 airstrike, Mojtaba was elevated to the position.
He is believed to have been injured in the same attack that killed his father and other members of his family.
Sources also claim Mojtaba Khamenei made “aggressive” sexual advances toward male caregivers while recovering from injuries, possibly while under heavy medication, per the New York Post.
The claims have not been publicly confirmed by Iranian officials.
However, a previously leaked diplomatic cable from 2008 referenced health issues connected to Mojtaba Khamenei’s marriage.
The cable said he sought medical treatment in the United Kingdom for impotence before eventually fathering children.
Despite those reports, his personal life has largely remained secret within Iran.
Homosexuality is illegal in Iran and carries severe penalties.
In some cases, men accused of homosexual acts have faced execution under the country’s strict Islamic laws.
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad once claimed publicly that “in Iran, we don’t have homosexuals.”
Critics of the Iranian government have pointed to those laws as evidence of deep hypocrisy if the allegations about Mojtaba Khamenei prove true.
One source familiar with the intelligence briefing said the situation raises questions about the leadership of Iran’s ruling theocracy.
“If there was ever a time where it was OK to out someone, it would be a leader of a regime that executes people for being gay,” the source said.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s current location and medical condition remain unclear following the February airstrike.
He is widely expected to take a hardline stance against the United States and its allies.
President Trump previously criticized Mojtaba Khamenei, describing him as an “unacceptable” choice to lead Iran.
The revelation about his alleged personal life comes as tensions between the U.S. and Iran remain high following the launch of Operation Epic Fury.
