a lot of people are saying that, which puts him off to a bad start
In the long and shadowed history of intelligence as a tool of statecraft, the United States now finds itself disclosing — through its own president — deeply personal assessments of Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. Donald Trump confirmed in a Fox News interview that the CIA briefed him on allegations regarding Khamenei's sexual orientation, framing the information as both widely known and politically significant in a country where homosexuality carries severe consequences. The disclosure invites reflection not only on the nature of modern intelligence gathering, but on the ethics of wielding private human vulnerability as a geopolitical instrument.
- Trump publicly confirmed a CIA briefing on Iran's new Supreme Leader's alleged sexual orientation — an extraordinary breach of the boundary between classified intelligence and political commentary.
- The claim carries particular weight in Iran, where homosexuality is criminalized and can carry the death penalty, meaning the allegation — true or not — functions as a destabilizing weapon against Khamenei's authority.
- Intelligence sources reportedly expressed confidence in the assessments, which allegedly detail a long-term relationship with a male tutor and aggressive advances toward male staff during his recovery from an airstrike.
- Diplomatic cables released via WikiLeaks add a separate layer, describing medical visits to London hospitals for fertility treatment and characterizing Khamenei in terms that suggest longstanding personal vulnerabilities.
- The episode leaves unresolved a deeper question: whether American intelligence agencies are prioritizing the personal lives of foreign leaders as leverage, and what that signals for the trajectory of US-Iran relations under new leadership.
Donald Trump confirmed in a Fox News interview that the CIA briefed him on allegations about the sexual orientation of Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. When asked directly whether intelligence agencies had informed him of such claims, Trump said they had — adding, with characteristic looseness, that "a lot of people are saying that," and suggesting it put Khamenei "off to a bad start" in Iran.
According to the New York Post, Trump reportedly laughed during the briefing when presented with the relevant documents. Intelligence sources indicated that the elevation of this material to the highest levels of government reflected confidence in its accuracy. The assessments allegedly describe a long-term relationship between Khamenei and a male tutor, as well as aggressive advances toward male staff members while he recovered from injuries sustained in a February 28 airstrike — the same attack that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, paving the way for Mojtaba's ascension to Supreme Leader on March 8.
Separate diplomatic cables released through WikiLeaks add texture to the portrait. They describe multiple trips Mojtaba made to London hospitals — Wellington and Cromwell — for treatment related to fertility difficulties, with one stay lasting two months. The cables characterized him in terms suggesting longstanding sexual and medical vulnerabilities that required years and significant medical intervention to address. Before his permanent marriage to the daughter of a former Iranian parliamentary speaker, he reportedly entered into two temporary marriages — a legally permitted arrangement in Iran — understood as a means of gaining sexual experience.
The broader implications remain unsettled. The willingness of a sitting American president to publicly air classified personal intelligence about a foreign head of state raises pointed questions about the priorities of US intelligence agencies and the ethics of deploying intimate human detail as a diplomatic or destabilizing instrument. How — or whether — any of this shapes the Trump administration's approach to Iran under Khamenei's new leadership is, for now, unanswered.
Donald Trump has stated that American intelligence agencies briefed him on allegations concerning Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. During an interview with Fox News anchor Jesse Watters, when asked directly whether the CIA had informed him of claims about Khamenei's sexual orientation, Trump confirmed they had. "They did say that, but I don't know if it was only them," Trump said. "I think a lot of people are saying that, which puts [Khamenei] off to a bad start in that particular country."
According to reporting from the New York Post, Trump reportedly laughed during the intelligence briefing when presented with documents on the matter. The classified assessments, according to intelligence sources, suggest that Mojtaba Khamenei may have maintained a long-term relationship with a male tutor. An unnamed source told the Post that the elevation of this information to the highest levels of government indicated confidence in the intelligence itself.
Khamenei assumed the role of Supreme Leader on March 8, following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had reportedly expressed reservations about his son inheriting the position. The transition came just days after a February 28 airstrike that killed the elder Khamenei. Intelligence reports also alleged that Mojtaba made what were described as aggressive sexual advances toward male staff members while recovering from injuries sustained in that same attack.
Beyond the allegations regarding his personal relationships, declassified diplomatic cables released through WikiLeaks paint a picture of medical struggles. The cables indicate that Mojtaba faced difficulties conceiving children with his wife and made multiple trips to London hospitals—specifically Wellington and Cromwell—for medical treatment. One cable noted that he required at least four visits to these facilities before his wife became pregnant, with one stay lasting two months. The cables characterized him as "so soft" that he needed extensive medical intervention to address what was described as an impotency problem.
Before his marriage to the daughter of a former Iranian parliamentary speaker, Mojtaba reportedly entered into two temporary marriages—a practice permitted under Iranian law that allows men and women to engage in sexual relationships without formal commitment. According to the New York Post's reporting on the cables, this arrangement was understood to give him an opportunity to gain sexual experience before his permanent marriage. The cables suggested his late marriage and the medical interventions required were connected to longstanding fertility and sexual performance issues that took years to resolve.
The disclosure of these intelligence assessments raises questions about what American intelligence agencies prioritize in their monitoring of foreign leaders and how such personal information factors into diplomatic calculations. Whether the information will have any bearing on how the Trump administration approaches Iran under Khamenei's leadership remains unclear.
Notable Quotes
They did say that, but I don't know if it was only them. I think a lot of people are saying that, which puts [Khamenei] off to a bad start in that particular country.— Donald Trump, in response to Fox News anchor Jesse Watters
The fact that this was elevated to the highest of high levels shows you there's some confidence in this.— Unnamed intelligence source, quoted by the New York Post
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why would US intelligence agencies spend resources investigating the personal life of Iran's new leader in this way?
Because succession matters. When a new leader takes power, especially in a country as strategically important as Iran, intelligence agencies want to understand who they are—their vulnerabilities, their relationships, what might influence their decisions. Personal information can be leverage.
But sexual orientation? That seems oddly specific, almost gossipy for a classified briefing.
It is gossipy. But in Iran's context, it's also potentially destabilizing. A Supreme Leader whose sexuality contradicts the state's official ideology could face internal pressure or blackmail. Intelligence agencies think in terms of leverage and instability.
Trump laughed during the briefing. Does that tell us something about how seriously he took it?
It tells us he found it amusing or absurd. Whether he took it seriously as intelligence or as a political talking point—those are different questions. He did mention it on Fox News, so it clearly stuck with him.
The WikiLeaks cables about his medical treatments—how does that fit into the intelligence picture?
It's part of a larger portrait: a man with fertility struggles, multiple failed attempts at conception, medical interventions spanning years. Intelligence agencies see patterns. They're building a profile of someone they consider weak or compromised in some way.
Does any of this actually matter for US-Iran relations?
That's the real question. It could be used as leverage, or it could be completely irrelevant to how Khamenei actually governs. The fact that Trump mentioned it publicly suggests someone thinks it matters—whether that's Trump himself or the intelligence community briefing him.