Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei held a meeting with security chief Mohsen Rezaei to discuss regional security and the Strait of Hormuz, his office said on Tuesday. This was the first publicly declared encounter between Rezaei and the leader since Mojtaba took office.
Mojtaba was chosen in March to succeed his father and longtime ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The former leader was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28 in central Tehran alongside senior military commanders. Reports at the time indicated that Mojtaba was injured in the same attack.
The newly appointed leader has yet to appear in public. He has only communicated through written messages since his appointment, with some statements published in handwriting attributed to him.
During their discussions, the two officials addressed strengthening bilateral relations with neighboring countries. They also focused on safeguarding national and regional security through the management of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement from Khamenei’s office.
Khamenei emphasized the need to safeguard the rights and interests of the Iranian nation and the resistance front. He said this should be done by adhering to conditions set by the country’s authorities, with the aim of ending the war and the state of neither war nor peace.
The announcement followed talks held by Rezaei a day earlier. The security chief met with senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan, nations that recently signed the mutual defense Makkah Pact.
Officials did not disclose either the date or the location of the meeting between Khamenei and Rezaei.
Iran claims control over the Hormuz strait and regularly targets vessels that attempt to cross without its authorization. In response, the United States has imposed a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports.
Diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing crisis are stalled. The breakdown followed the collapse of a June deal which had laid out a pathway to a permanent settlement.
Several Iranian officials, including Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, stated in recent days that they also held rare meetings with the supreme leader.
