- Iran's President Mazoud Pezeshkian reportedly met the country's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in a dark, tinted-window car at a secret location in Tehran, where he could not see him. He later asked whether the voice he heard was really of the supreme leader, according to a report.
- The meeting was brief and humiliating for Pezeshkian; he was asked to leave after a few minutes, guards did not allow a handshake, and he later requested a second meeting at Khamenei's residence, which was denied.
- Pezeshkian had portrayed a different story about their meeting in May, telling trade association representatives he spent two and a half hours with Mojtaba Khamenei in a 'cordial atmosphere'.
- The meeting was extracted as a 'concession' after repeated requests and threats of resignation; Khamenei's office agreed but deviated from standard practice by not meeting at the leader's residence.
- Pezeshkian had allegedly used threats of resignation during policy disagreements and formally sought to resign in May, claiming his administration was 'entirely sidelined' from national security and foreign policy decisions.
- Khamenei reportedly issued a 'final ultimatum' to Pezeshkian and backed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Ahmad Vahidi on key decisions, signaling full alignment with the military and limiting the president's influence.
- Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen or heard in public for roughly five months since succeeding his late father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, 2026; he has released only written statements, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed he has not seen him.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian met with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in a dark, tinted-window car, raising questions about the authenticity of the encounter. The meeting, which lasted only a few minutes, was described as humiliating by Pezeshkian, who later doubted whether he had truly met Khamenei.12
Pezeshkian was escorted to a secret location in Tehran where he could not see Khamenei. His security detail facilitated the meeting, but Khamenei's guards prevented any physical contact, such as a handshake. Afterward, Pezeshkian requested a second meeting at Khamenei's residence, which was denied.
Despite the awkwardness of the encounter, Pezeshkian previously portrayed their relationship positively, claiming they had spent two and a half hours together in a "cordial atmosphere." He had reportedly extracted the meeting as a 'concession' after threatening to resign over policy disagreements. Khamenei's office had been reluctant to meet, deviating from standard practice.56
The Supreme Leader has not been seen publicly for five months, following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a US-Israeli airstrike. His communications have been limited to written statements, with few individuals reportedly having met him during this time. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi noted the restricted access to Khamenei, indicating a tight control over his public engagements.1011
“The meeting was brief and humiliating for Pezeshkian, who was denied a handshake and later requested a second meeting at Khamenei's residence, which was denied. Khamenei has not been seen in public for five months, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed he has not seen him.”
