The independent news outlet Iran International reported this week that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was only allowed to meet with alleged “Supreme Leader” Mojtaba Khamenei once since the latter was chosen to rule the country under bizarre circumstances in which Pezeshkian could not be sure who he was talking to.
The report, published on Tuesday, preceded Pezeshkian himself addressing his relationship with the younger Khamenei on state media in a televised interview on Thursday, claiming that it was “very difficult” to communicate with him.
Khamenei’s father, Ali Khamenei, ruled the country with an iron fist as “supreme leader” for decades before his demise on February 28, the first day of America’s “Operation Epic Fury” against the Iranian regime. In March, the remainder of the Iranian Islamist terror state announced that Khamenei would be succeeded by his son Mojtaba, who has not at press time made any public appearances nor released any video or audio statements, leaving the Iranian people with no proof that he is alive and actually governing the country.
Mojtaba Khamenei’s absence from the public eye has created a space for rumors to thrive. Some reports have suggested that Khamenei was severely injured in the airstrike that killed his father, potentially left with a disfigured face or a limb amputation. Other rumors began spreading that Khamenei had engaged in a homosexual lifestyle, which did not directly address potential airstrike injuries or medical conditions. The Iranian government has not directly addressed any questions about Khamenei’s whereabouts, instead insisting he was healthy and, in fact, running operations for the ongoing war with the United States.
Citing anonymous sources, Iran International has published a variety of reports suggesting that Pezeshkian, “elected” in a sham race as a “moderate” hand-picked candidate, has grown increasingly frustrated with Khamenei’s absence and distance from the civilian leadership of the country. On August 4, Iran International claimed that, only after much complaining, Pezeshkian was granted one meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei and has not seen him since, and that meeting was under such bizarre circumstances that it allegedly left Pezeshkian unsure if he had met with Khamenei at all.
“Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was taken to a secret Tehran location and allowed only minutes in a dark, tinted-window car with a man presented as Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei,” Iran International’s sources claimed. “Pezeshkian could not see the man beside him and later asked whether the voice he had heard had really belonged to the supreme leader.”
The sources allegedly stated that it was not clear whether Pezeshkian was earnestly asking if he had met with the Supreme Leader or asking rhetorically to express exasperation. They described the Iranian president as expressing that the situation was “humiliating” to him, particularly as it took threats to resign to convince those handling Khamenei to allow him an in-person meeting. The report notably omitted any content in the conversation that allegedly transpired between the two officials.
Pezeshkian claimed in May to have met with Khamenei. He described his conversation with the alleged “supreme leader” as “direct” and “frank,” and praised Khamenei’s “humble and deeply cordial manner.” State media at the time claimed that Khamenei and Pezeshkian met for two and a half hours, contrary to the more recent report describing a very brief encounter in a dark car. The report of the meeting followed comments by President Donald Trump mocking the Iranian regime for being leaderless and disorganized.
“Iran is having a very hard time figuring out who their leader is! They just don’t know!” Trump wrote in late April. “The infighting is between the ‘Hardliners,’ who have been losing BADLY on the battlefield, and the ‘Moderates,’ who are not very moderate at all (but gaining respect!), is CRAZY!”
Two days later, Pezeshkian appeared in a state media broadcast conceding that he finds having a relationship with Mojtaba Khamenei challenging.
“Now the existence of our new and dear leader is a very great source of strength for us so that we can continue this path, although communication with him is now very difficult,” said on television. Pezeshkian nonetheless insisted that Khamenei was running the country and taking the advice of “experts” around him. The Iranian president also praised the “supreme leader” as “exceptional in terms of ethics, logic, and humility.”
Pezeshkian’s comments were part of a broader interview, expected to be released in multiple parts, on state media. Previews of the conversation began to be released on Tuesday, featuring Pezeshkian effusively denying that he was planning to resign – again appearing to respond to an anonymous report in Iran International.
“I will not resign and I will stand firm,” Pezeshkian reportedly said in the brief video published. “If I resign, I will formally announce that I have resigned.”
To the general Iranian public, exposed almost exclusively to government propaganda, it was not immediately clear why Pezeshkian would feel the need to deny a potential resignation in a televised interview. Prior to the latest televised remarks, however, Iran International reported that Pezeshkian had attempted to resign dozens of times, exasperating Khamenei, who allegedly warned him recently that he would accept the next resignation letter he receives.
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