Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday said that communication with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was “very difficult at the moment", but added that his presence remained a “major source of strength" for the country’s leadership.
Pezeshkian made the remarks in an interview with Iranian state media, IRIB. He said that while direct communication was difficult, Mojtaba Khamenei’s role continued to provide support as Iran faced a tense period.
“Communicating with Mojtaba Khamenei is very difficult at the moment, but his presence is a significant source of strength for us, allowing us to maintain the process," Pezeshkian said.
Mojtaba Khamenei took over as Iran’s supreme leader after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a US-Israeli strike on February 28 that triggered the war in West Asia.
The younger Khamenei was also wounded in the attack and has not appeared in public since then. He has issued written statements, but his absence from public events has raised questions about his health and his ties with other senior officials.
He also did not appear at his father’s funeral ceremonies last month.
Pezeshkian, however, defended the supreme leader and said their meetings had been productive. He described Khamenei as showing “kindness and very sound logic" during their discussions.
Pezeshkian said some groups were attempting to create divisions by presenting a negative image of Mojtaba Khamenei.
He referred to a recent decision-making process in which Khamenei accepted the outcome of a council review after the proposal received 12 out of 13 votes.
“What his eminence said was entirely correct," Pezeshkian said, adding that accepting an expert opinion had later been used by some people to create disputes and make unfair claims.
He said attempts to portray Khamenei differently were being driven by those seeking political divisions.
“This act of accepting an expert opinion and deciding accordingly was turned into an excuse by some to create division and make unfair, dishonest claims, attempting to portray others in a certain light," the Iranian leader added.
