Post system with paper notes and an ayatollah in hiding: this is how Mojtaba Khamenei negotiated the ceasefire with the United States

According to the American news portal Axioswhich cites voiceover statements from an Israeli official, a regional official and a third source with knowledge of the matter, with the deadline for the ultimatum he had issued Donald Trump approaching its end, it would have been Mojtaba Khamenei who, between Monday and Tuesday, gave Iranian negotiators instructions to move towards an agreement with the US.

The news comes after reports that the Ayatollah was in a delicate state of health. On the same day of the ceasefire, a diplomatic memorandum based on Israeli and US intelligence assessments revealed by The Times had indicated that the Iranian supreme leader was receiving medical treatment in the city of Qom.

The document indicated that Khamenei was unconscious and in serious condition, which would prevent him from participating in any regime decision-making process. However, the information released this Wednesday would reveal the opposite.

Faced with the risk of being assassinated by Israel, Khamenei began communication, mainly through authorized spokespersons who exchanged text messages. The sources consulted by the American media also maintained that the participation of the supreme leader in the agreement was “laborious and clandestine.”

From the portal they also highlighted that, although the Iranian Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, and China played an important role in the negotiations, all key decisions “went through Khamenei.”

“Without their approval, there would have been no agreement”added the sources consulted, who also highlighted that the approval of the supreme leader represented a “turning point.”

In his truce announcement, Trump had stated that the ten points sent by Iran were a “good starting point” for the negotiations that will begin this Friday between the United States and Iran.

However, a few hours later there was a first point of contention, as Israel continued its attacks on Lebanon. According to Netanyahu and the White House, the Lebanese situation did not fall within the principle of agreement.

However, this Wednesday the Iranian foreign minister was forceful. “Either they choose the ceasefire or continue the war via Israel”he wrote in a message that had the United States as the recipient. Additionally, he shared an underlined version of his own ceasefire announcement, highlighting passages about the participation of each side’s allies in the agreement and the inclusion of Lebanon.