Iranian President Says Communication with Motjaba Khamenei Very Difficult

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian/DOK Fatemeh Sadat Mirahmadi/Mehr News Agency via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said communication with Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is currently "very difficult" and described his presence as a "source of great strength" for the country.

In an interview broadcast on Iranian state television to mark two years of his appointment, Pezeshkian said the more open officials were to convey various issues to the supreme leader, the easier it was to achieve mutual understanding.

He described Khamenei as "extraordinary", saying he was impressed by his ethics, humility and way of thinking.

Pezeshkian also accused some parties of trying to "create divisions" in the country by taking advantage of the supreme leader's message regarding the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran.

The framework consisting of 14 points was signed on June 17, 2026 by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to inaugurate a ceasefire, lift the naval blockade, and end active military operations.

Khamenei publicly supported the memorandum of understanding, although he initially expressed a number of objections.

The Iranian president said Iran's enemies continued to increase pressure through sanctions and military confrontation with the aim of triggering public discontent and encouraging protests. He described the current situation as the most difficult time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Mojtaba Khamenei became Iran's Supreme Leader on March 8 after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint US-Israeli air strike in Tehran on February 28.

The leadership change comes as Iran is engaged in direct military confrontation with the United States following a US-Israeli joint offensive. Iran then retaliated by launching missile and drone attacks targeting Gulf countries hosting US military bases.

The United States and Iran reached a ceasefire agreement in April, then signed a memorandum of understanding mediated by Pakistan in June with the aim of ending the military conflict and reaching a long-term peace agreement.

However, the deal collapsed last month, when both sides resumed their attacks for nearly two weeks before President Donald Trump abruptly halted the bombing amid reports of talks to resolve the conflict.