Pezeshkian defended his leader, insisting he had held productive meetings with him and had been met with “kindness and very sound logic.”
Amid reports of a rift between Iran’s top leadership, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has claimed that establishing communication with the country’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has become “very difficult at the moment”. The 56-year-old cleric, who was wounded in the US-Israeli strike that launched the Middle East war, has not appeared in public since succeeding his father and the former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the same attack.
Pezeshkian maintained that despite his absence from the public eye, Mojtaba Khamenei continues to play an important role in Iran’s retaliation.
What Pezeshkian Said
“It is very difficult to communicate with him at the moment, but in any case, his presence is a very great source of strength for us so that we can continue,” Pezeshkian said, according to news agency AFP.
The younger Khamenei has communicated through written statements, but his low profile at a time when Iran is in conflict with the United States has led to speculation about his relations with other top officials. He notably did not appear at his father’s funeral ceremonies last month.
Pezeshkian defended his leader, however, insisting he had held productive meetings with him and had been met with “kindness and very sound logic.”
“Unfortunately, the current situation allows some malicious people to describe him differently and to present a different image of him,” he said.
Reports of Rift
Pezeshkian’s remarks came amid reports claiming that Khamenei has issued a “final ultimatum” to the president and has thrown his support behind Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander Ahmad Vahidi on key decisions regarding the negotiations and the conflict.
Israeli broadcaster Channel 14, citing sources familiar with developments in Tehran, reported that Khamenei has effectively stripped President Pezeshkian of his primary political leverage by refusing to discourage another resignation attempt.
