Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian breaks silence after first meeting with Supreme Leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei.
According to Euro News, the president said on Thursday, May 7, that he had met Mojtaba Khamenei in person and spoken with him for two and a half hours, in the first public confirmation that the Islamic Republic's new ayatollah has been seen by a senior official since his appointment more than two months ago.
Pezeshkian, speaking at a meeting with trade unions and market representatives, gave no details of when or where the meeting took place, what was discussed, or who else was present. He said the exchange was "completely unmediated."
Pezeshkian said, "What stood out to me more than anything else in this meeting was (Mojtaba Khamenei's) manner, perspective, and deeply sincere and humble behaviour, an approach that transformed the atmosphere into one based on trust, calmness, empathy, and direct dialogue.”
Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed by the Assembly of Experts following the death of his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US and Israeli strikes in the opening salvo of the war on 28 February.
In the two months since his appointment, the new leader has made no public appearance and released no video or audio material, fuelling sustained speculation about his physical condition. Statements reportedly authored by him have been read on state-run television, however.
The New York Times, citing four Iranian officials, previously reported that Mojtaba Khamenei sustained serious injuries in the strikes, has undergone multiple surgeries on his legs and arms, and has difficulty speaking due to severe burns to his face and lips.
