President's rare admission

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday, 5 August, that communication with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamanei is "very difficult at the moment." Khamenei, 56, has not appeared in public since assuming the role after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed on 28 February in a joint US-Israeli air strike that launched the Middle East war. Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the same attack, which also killed several Iranian officials, and has communicated only through written statements attributed to him since his designation in March.

Pezeshkian made the comment during a televised address but gave no further detail on what he meant by "interaction." He nonetheless defended the supreme leader, saying he had been received with "kindness and very sound logic" during meetings.

Speculation over health and whereabouts

Khamenei's absence from public view has prompted widespread speculation about his health. Top Iranian officials told the New York Times earlier this year that the new supreme leader had been gravely wounded but was mentally in good health. According to that report, his face and lips were badly burnt, making speech difficult, one hand was operated on, and he was gradually regaining function. He reportedly required plastic surgery to his face and was awaiting a new prosthetic leg.

In conflicting reports in May, Iran said Khamenei was suffering from a "small scratch" behind his ear after initial reports of life-altering injuries, while the regime said he was otherwise in "full health" despite injuries to his kneecap and back. The Islamic regime has not released any video or audio of the supreme leader. One Iranian media report claimed this was because it could reveal Khamenei's whereabouts and condition.

His absence from the six-day funeral ceremonies for his father in July further fueled questions about his health and even a possible assassination.

Alleged secret meeting in a tinted car

According to the opposition channel Iran International, Pezeshkian was taken to a secret location in Tehran and allowed only a few minutes in a car with the supreme leader. The president was never able to see Mojtaba Khamenei and even doubted it was him speaking. The location was dark enough that Pezeshkian could not see the supreme leader, and he was not permitted to shake his hand. Pezeshkian reportedly interpreted the treatment as humiliating and requested a second meeting at Khamenei's official residence, a request that had not yet been authorized.

The meeting was reportedly a concession by the supreme leader after Pezeshkian threatened to resign. In May, Pezeshkian was reported to have argued he could no longer fulfil his constitutional responsibilities and asked to step down immediately. An Iranian media report on Monday said Khamenei had warned Pezeshkian that he would accept the president's resignation if he resubmitted it. Pezeshkian denied rumors he would resign, saying, "If I resign, I will announce it officially."

Repression and war context

The backdrop is continued repression inside Iran. Since the beginning of 2026, the NGO Iran Human Rights has recorded 886 executions. A resident of Isfahan told Franceinfo: "There are up to two hangings a day, every morning, at the time of the call to prayer. Since the war began, the situation has gotten worse. There have always been executions but never to this point. The trials of political prisoners are unjust because they have no lawyer."

Despite a protocol signed in mid-June to open the way to peace talks, new reciprocal strikes took place in early July. Last month, Mojtaba Khamenei threatened to inflict "unforgettable lessons" on the United States after the resumption of strikes against Iran, in a communiqué signed in his name. Pezeshkian said earlier that Tehran would support any initiative or decision by Palestinian leaders in indirect talks between Hamas and Israel, according to state media.