Iran President Reports Communication Breakdown with Supreme Leader

President Masoud Pezeshkian has reported that communication with Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is now very difficult. This admission contradicts previous claims of increased access and follows Khamenei's prolonged absence from public view since assuming leadership in March. Speculation has grown that the Supreme Leader is in critical condition or hospitalized, with reports suggesting he suffered severe facial and leg injuries during the February 28 joint U.S.-Israeli military strikes that killed his father, Ali Khamenei.

This leadership vacuum has shifted power toward a decentralized framework dominated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and figures such as Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. The instability is complicating negotiations with the United States, as Iranian mediators struggle to secure authorizations from the elusive leadership. To prevent intelligence breaches, the government has limited diplomatic communications to handwritten notes delivered by aircraft.

State-run media are attempting to counter these rumors. The Mizan news agency announced the upcoming release of images showing the leader meeting military commanders, following a brief 12-second video released by Mehr News Agency. Meanwhile, political tensions have escalated between Pezeshkian and the military, with conflicting reports regarding the president's alleged attempts to resign.