Communicating With Mojtaba Khamenei Is Very Difficult: Iran’s President

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that communicating with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei remains ‘very difficult at the moment’, although his presence gives the country significant strength to continue its course.

In an interview published on his office’s website, Pezeshkian claimed that the United States and Israel killed former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on 28 February in an attempt to destabilise Iran. He said the country continued functioning despite the attack and subsequently selected a new leader.

Iran’s Assembly of Experts chose Mojtaba Khamenei, Ali Khamenei’s son, as the country’s supreme leader in early March.

Pezeshkian described Iran’s current situation as its most challenging, citing tighter banking sanctions, restrictions on overseas transactions, a naval blockade and the continuing conflict. His remarks came as Iran and Oman reportedly moved closer to finalising new commercial shipping arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz.

Under the proposed arrangement, a single temporary route through Iranian territorial waters would replace the existing northern and southern routes for two to four months.

A source close to the Iranian negotiating team told the semi-official Fars news agency that reopening the strait would depend on the United States taking concrete steps to fulfil its commitments.

The source also said the US Treasury Department’s removal of sanctions on an Iraqi airline had no connection with the Iran-US memorandum of understanding.

Iran tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz on 28 February following joint US-Israeli strikes, restricting vessels linked to the two countries.

The US later conducted several rounds of strikes against Iranian targets, claiming that it aimed to weaken Tehran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping.

Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on US military bases and facilities across the region.

Also Read: North Carolina Family Shooting Leaves Three Dead, One Injured