Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a new message of thanks for Iraq for its support during the ongoing war against US and Israel.
The ISNA news agency reported that Supreme leader “expressed his appreciation to the supreme religious authority and the people of Iraq for their clear stance against aggression against Iran and their support for our country.” The message was particularly sent to Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani who is Iraq-based Shia cleric who is one of the most popular figures in Shia Islam worldwide.
The message came after a meeting between the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq which is a Shia political, and the Iranian ambassador in Baghdad Iraq. However, no details were provided regardless of how exactly the message was transmitted.
Why The Message is Notable
The message becomes notable because since the name of Mojtaba Khamenei has been announced as the Supreme leader of Iran, he has not made any public appearance. His messages have been limited to a small number of written statements, consisting of an initial statement as supreme leader and a message for the Persian New Year, Nowruz. Both of the messages were read aloud on television by someone else.
The Iranian state media keep releasing his images but none of the images indicates when they were taken. He maintains official accounts on both Telegram and X. However, it is not confirmed who manages these accounts.
The reasons behind his absence from public view have fueled significant speculation. Iranian state television and officials within the country claim that he is recovering from wounds sustained in an airstrike while no independent media or source has confirmed that where he is now.
Trump on Mojtaba Khamenei
The uncertainty regarding Khamenei’s condition has reached the highest level of White House officials. US President Trump addressed it directly last week, accepting that US government was in contact with a senior Iranian figure in ongoing talks but making clear it was not the supreme leader himself.
Trump said in a public statement that “We have not heard from the son… We don’t know if he is living,” while addressing the status of a sitting head of a state the US is actively at the war with.
Syed Ziyauddin is a media and international relations enthusiast with a strong academic and professional foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Media from Jamia Millia Islamia and a Master’s in International Relations (West Asia) from the same institution.
He has work with organizations like ANN Media, TV9 Bharatvarsh, NDTV and Centre for Discourse, Fusion, and Analysis (CDFA) his core interest includes Tech, Auto and global affairs.
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