Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has raised questions about whether he actually met with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei during a clandestine meeting, according to a report from Iran International. The encounter, described as taking place in the back of a darkened car with blacked-out windows, left Pezeshkian uncertain if he had met the actual leader.
Pezeshkian was reportedly taken to a secret location in Tehran for the meeting, which was significantly shorter than a previously publicized two-and-a-half-hour session. Sources indicate that Khamenei's office agreed to the brief meeting only after Pezeshkian repeatedly requested it and threatened to resign. The supreme leader declined to meet at his official residence, opting instead for a commercial vehicle at a hidden location.
During the encounter, the cabin was kept so dark that visibility was limited, and guards reportedly prevented Pezeshkian from shaking hands with the individual. Pezeshkian allegedly questioned his aides about the identity of the person, stating that he had only heard someone speaking in the dark.
Following this, Pezeshkian has sought a face-to-face meeting at the leader's residence, but his requests have so far been denied. This comes amid reports that Pezeshkian has again offered to step down, citing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' increasing control over the country's governance. Iranian media recently reported that IRGC Commander-in-Chief Ahmad Vahidi was formally granted ultimate decision-making authority, effectively sidelining Pezeshkian's administration.
The circumstances of the reported meeting add to the growing mystery surrounding Mojtaba Khamenei, who has largely disappeared from public view since assuming power approximately five months ago. No verified photos, videos, or audio recordings of his public appearances have been released, and his statements have been exclusively in written form. He did not attend his father's funeral earlier in the year.
Even state-aligned Iranian media have attempted to address the absence, with the government-owned Hamshahri newspaper claiming that foreign intelligence agencies could potentially track Khamenei's location through background noise in audio recordings. This explanation has only intensified speculation about his whereabouts and condition.