Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reportedly had a strange and unsettling encounter with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, one that left him uncertain whether he had actually spoken to the country’s top leader at all.
According to a report by Iran International, the meeting took place inside a commercial vehicle with tinted windows at an undisclosed location in Tehran. The setting was reportedly so dark that neither man could see the other clearly. Once the brief conversation ended, Pezeshkian reportedly asked whether the voice on the other side had truly belonged to the supreme leader.
A Meeting That Lasted Only Minutes
The publication reported that the entire interaction was over within a few minutes. Khamenei’s security detail reportedly kept things strictly formal, not even permitting a handshake between the two men before Pezeshkian was asked to leave.
This account stands in sharp contrast to what Pezeshkian told the public earlier this year. Speaking to a gathering of trade association representatives in May, he described a very different scene, claiming he had spent two and a half hours in conversation with Khamenei in what he called a “cordial atmosphere.”
How The Meeting Came About
Sources cited by Iran International said the sit-down did not happen easily. Pezeshkian had apparently been pushing for access to the supreme leader for some time, at one point even threatening to resign if a meeting wasn’t granted. Khamenei’s office eventually relented, but on unusual terms. Rather than meeting at the leader’s residence, which is standard practice, Pezeshkian was taken by his own security team to an unknown Tehran location and then transferred into a separate, tinted-window vehicle where Khamenei was already waiting.
Citing people close to the president’s office, the report said Pezeshkian came away from the experience feeling humiliated. He is said to have since requested a follow-up meeting at Khamenei’s residence, a request that has reportedly been turned down.
Pezeshkian’s Public Comments Tell A Softer Story
Despite the reported unease around the meeting, Pezeshkian has continued to speak carefully about his relationship with the supreme leader in public. He acknowledged that reaching Khamenei has grown harder, telling reporters, according to AFP, that communication “is very difficult at the moment,” while still calling the leader’s presence “a very great source of strength” for the country going forward.
He has also pushed back against criticism of Khamenei, saying his meetings with the leader had been productive and marked by “kindness and very sound logic.” Pezeshkian added that he believes some people are unfairly painting a negative picture of Khamenei during the current situation.
Behind The Scenes, Tensions With Leadership
The report’s backdrop includes a broader power struggle within the Iranian government. Pezeshkian has reportedly used resignation threats more than once amid disagreements with the country’s leadership, and formally attempted to resign in May. At the time, he said his own administration had been completely shut out of decisions related to national security and foreign policy.
Israeli media outlets have reported that Khamenei responded with a “final ultimatum” directed at Pezeshkian, while shifting his backing toward Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Ahmad Vahidi on major decisions tied to negotiations and the ongoing conflict. Channel 14 reported that this move reflects Khamenei aligning himself more closely with Iran’s military leadership, a shift that reportedly leaves Pezeshkian with far less influence over strategic decisions.
Khamenei’s Extended Absence From Public View
Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared or spoken publicly in roughly five months, ever since he succeeded his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, 2026. In place of public appearances, state media has only shared his written statements, often read aloud over still images.
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Even senior Iranian officials say access to him is limited. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a July interview that he personally had not seen Khamenei during this period and noted that only a small number of people have had any contact with him at all.
Trump Weighs In
US President Donald Trump has also commented on Khamenei’s standing, claiming in an interview with Fox News that the new supreme leader was “90 percent gone.” Trump pointed to what he described as the collapse of Iran’s military capabilities, saying the country’s navy, air force and anti-aircraft systems were gone and that its top leaders had been killed. He specifically said, “Khamenei is gone, the son is 90% gone.”