Trump stunned by intelligence claim that Mojtaba Khamenei may be gay: Report

New Delhi,UPDATED: Mar 17, 2026 06:03 IST

US President Donald Trump was stunned during a recent intelligence briefing after purportedly being told that American intelligence agencies believe Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, may be gay, according to a report by the New York Post.

The news outlet claimed that the classified briefing took place last week and was based on intelligence assessments reviewed by US officials.

According to sources cited by the New York Post, the briefing prompted a visible reaction from the president. "Trump couldn’t contain his surprise and laughed aloud when he was briefed on the intel," the report quoted sources as saying, adding that others present in the room also reacted with amusement.

INTELLIGENCE CREDIBLE?

The New York Post said the claim was revealed to it by two intelligence community officials and a person close to the White House, who told the outlet that US spy agencies consider the information credible rather than a disinformation effort.

They all said the implausible-sounding claim was being considered to be credible by US intelligence agencies, the report said. One source told the American news publisher the intelligence was derived from one of the most protected sources that the government has.

"The fact that this was elevated to the highest of high levels shows you there's some confidence in this," another source was quoted as saying.

CLAIMS ON RELATIONSHIP, PERSONAL HISTORY

According to the report, US intelligence suggested Mojtaba may have had a long-term relationship with a man who served as his childhood tutor.

Two sources cited in the report said the relationship lasted for years, while another source said the alleged partner was someone who previously worked for the Khamenei family.

The New York Post also reported that Mojtaba may have made "aggressive" advances toward male caregivers while recovering from injuries sustained in the February 28 US-Israeli airstrikes that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

US intelligence agencies do not possess photographic evidence supporting the claim, the report said, but officials cited by the publication insisted the information was considered reliable.

Sources told the outlet that rumours about Mojtaba's sexual orientation had surfaced within Iranian political circles after the 2024 helicopter crash that killed former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, once viewed as a possible successor to Ali Khamenei.

DIPLOMATIC CABLE, MEDICAL TREATMENT

The report also referenced earlier material about Mojtaba’s personal life. A classified US diplomatic cable from 2008, later published by WikiLeaks, said the Iranian cleric had travelled to the UK for medical treatment related to impotence.

According to the US State Department document cited in the report, Mojtaba married relatively late, around the age of 30, reportedly due to a medical condition that required treatment during several visits to London.

The cable said the condition was treated during three extended stays at Wellington and Cromwell hospitals. "Mojtaba was expected by his family to produce children quickly, but needed a fourth visit to the UK for medical treatment; after a stay of two months, his wife became pregnant," the leaked diplomatic file stated.

SENSITIVE ISSUE IN IRAN

Homosexuality is illegal in Iran and can carry severe criminal penalties under the country’s laws. The report noted that this has made the allegation particularly sensitive within Iran’s political system, where religious and political leadership are closely intertwined.

The report also noted that Mojtabai’s wife, Zahra, and teenage son, Mohammad Bagher, were purportedly killed in the airstrike that killed his father.

The new Iranian leader is believed to have another son and a daughter.

- Ends

(With inputs from agencies)