Iran's new supreme leader meets President Pezeshkian in first official engagement

TEHRAN, Iran — Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, met President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday, the supreme leader's official website said, in the first formal contact announced since Mojtaba succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US strike on February 28, 2026. According to the website, the two discussed domestic issues, the public's cost-of-living needs and economic difficulties. They also reviewed the course of the war, military developments, securing resources and the energy sector, and examined ways to strengthen Iran's economic cooperation with external actors. In an interview with state television on Wednesday, Pezeshkian said communication with the supreme leader had been "extremely difficult." Since Mojtaba Khamenei took office, he has not appeared publicly, with written statements issued only through official institutional websites.