Table of Contents
Rare Meeting Between President and Supreme Leader
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in late July, around the start of the president’s third year in office, state media reported on Sunday . The meeting, which took place between July 20 and 27, covered military affairs and the economy, including securing resources, managing foreign exchange and energy use, as well as economic ties with foreign partners .
The president has offered differing accounts in recent weeks about his access to Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since succeeding his father as supreme leader in March . On July 21, Pezeshkian said interactions with the supreme leader were “increasing day by day”, but in early August he said communicating with Khamenei was “very difficult” .
Speculation Over Khamenei’s Health and Future Footage
Khamenei was reportedly seriously injured in the February 28 strike that killed his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran . He had generally kept a low public profile before becoming supreme leader, but his lack of public appearances has intensified speculation about his health.
Basij Organisation deputy Qasem Qoraishi said on Sunday that footage and other documentation showing Khamenei among the public and out in the streets, as well as in meetings with armed forces commanders, would be released in the future. He said the footage would “once again bring disgrace upon the enemies and detractors of the Iranian people” .
Previous Public Meetings
In May, state media reported that Pezeshkian had met Khamenei for several hours, in what was then the first publicly reported meeting between the two since Khamenei became supreme leader . The late July meeting marks the second publicly reported meeting between the president and the supreme leader
