Key facts
- President Masoud Pezeshkian announced increased communication with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
- Pezeshkian described his meeting with Khamenei as positive, fostering trust and calm.
- Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is recovering from severe injuries sustained in an airstrike.
- Khamenei continues to participate in decision-making, including war strategy and negotiations.
- The announcement is seen as an effort to counter U.S. claims of division within Iran's leadership.
- Experts highlight the IRGC's significant influence on strategic decisions, especially regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian announced on Thursday that his communication with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is increasing, a statement aimed at countering narratives of a divided leadership, particularly from the United States. Pezeshkian described a recent meeting with Khamenei as fostering an atmosphere of "trust, calm, solidarity, and direct, unmediated dialogue."
Khamenei, who was appointed two months ago, is reportedly recovering from severe facial and leg injuries sustained in an airstrike that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the start of the Israel-U.S. war with Iran. Despite his injuries, Khamenei is said to remain mentally sharp and is participating in decision-making on major issues, including the war and negotiations with Washington, through audio conferencing.
U.S. President Donald Trump and others have suggested that Iran's military, security, and political authorities are fractured. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on this alleged fracture, urging Iran to make a "sensible choice." However, Iranian officials, including Pezeshkian's chief of staff, have denied claims of rifts and resignations, stating that decisions are made in joint meetings.
Experts suggest that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its associated security apparatus have solidified their central role in Iran's strategic decision-making, especially concerning the Strait of Hormuz. Sina Toossi, a non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy, noted that the war has amplified the importance of coercive power and deterrence, increasing the influence of the military and security camp around Mojtaba Khamenei. Decision-making is believed to flow through smaller circles involving the supreme leader's office, senior IRGC figures, and trusted officials like security chief Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr. Saeed Leylaz, a political analyst, believes that despite potential differences, Iranian authorities are united around the new supreme leader and the necessity of controlling Hormuz amid the U.S. naval blockade.