Dr. Muhammad Abbas Naji‏‏

Mojtaba Khamenei became Iran’s Supreme Leader on March 9, 2026, following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei, on February 28 during the first hours of the war with the United States and Israel. The new Supreme Leader has recently begun holding meetings with senior officials and key figures within the regime while also issuing more statements directed at both domestic and foreign audiences.On May 7, 2026, President Masoud Pezeshkian <a href="https://www.tabnak.ir/fa/news/1371288/%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D9%BE%D8%B2%D8%B4%DA%A9%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%A2%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%AF%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%AA%D8%A8%DB%8C-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%86%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D8%A7%DB%8C" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announced</a> that he had met with the Supreme Leader for approximately two and a half hours, describing the latter’s conduct during the meeting as "a model for the country’s administrative system." Three days later, Ali Abdollahi, commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters—one of the principal branches of the Iranian armed forces—also <a href="https://www.asriran.com/fa/news/1161932/%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%A7%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%B1%DA%A9%D8%B2%DB%8C-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%A2%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%AA%D8%A8%DB%8C-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%86%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%87-%DA%A9%D9%84-%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">announced</a> that he had met with the Supreme Leader and presented a report on the armed forces’ preparedness.On May 15, 2026, the <a href="https://ar.irna.ir/news/86155088/%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A3%D8%B9%D8%B8%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%84%D9%86%D8%B4%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AB%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Supreme Leader issued</a> a statement to the Iranian people to honor the poet Ferdowsi, author of the Shahnameh, as well as Persian Language Day. In this message, he called on Iranians to preserve national unity and solidarity in light of new realities imposed by the war with Washington and Tel Aviv.Multiple DriversSeveral factors appear to have shaped the Supreme Leader’s new approach, most notably the following aims:1. Containing Political Divisions: These two meetings in May took place amid escalating political divisions within Iran, particularly regarding negotiations with the United States.These divisions were particularly evident in President Masoud Pezeshkian’s remarks on May 10, in which he defended negotiations with the United States, arguing that diplomacy did not equate to surrender. His comments responded directly to criticism from hardline conservative figures who have portrayed the negotiations as "a pure loss for Iran."On May 3, Mahmoud Nabavian—a member of the Iranian Parliament’s <a href="https://fararu.com/fa/news/968101/%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%88%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B0%D8%A7%DA%A9%D8%B1%D9%87-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%A2%D9%85%D8%B1%DB%8C%DA%A9%D8%A7-%D8%AE%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%B6-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">National Security</a> and Foreign Policy Committee and part of the negotiating delegation—stated on 3 May that negotiations at this stage would serve only U.S. interests and would impose significant costs on the Iranian people.These comments raised questions regarding Nabavian’s participation in the first round of negotiations in Islamabad on April 11 under the leadership of the Speaker of the Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.&nbsp;There appears to have been limited confidence in Ghalibaf’s ability to independently shape decisions related to the negotiation process, due to the deliberate inclusion of representatives from all major state institutions. This signals what could be described as a broader "leadership crisis" produced by the war. In this state of affairs, no single authority has been capable of securing domestic approval for any potential agreement.Additionally, some factions have seemed ready to veto any consensus that might emerge from the Islamabad talks. Ghalibaf was criticized after returning to Tehran by several hardline conservative figures, who repeatedly questioned whether he had intentionally allowed discussions of the nuclear issue during the negotiations despite the red lines previously established by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on that matter.Mojtaba Khamenei likely viewed the subsequent meetings with senior officials as necessary to prevent internal divisions from escalating further during a difficult period of political challenges for Iran.Several reports indicated that Pezeshkian had sought a meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei in order to convey his concerns about what he reportedly described as the "reckless behavior" of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, particularly regarding aggressive actions toward neighboring states.2. Sending a Message of Regime Cohesion to Domestic Audiences: Through these recent meetings, the Supreme Leader appears intent on conveying a direct message to the Iranian public that the regime remains cohesive and capable of managing the crises imposed by the war with the United States and Israel. These crises include the assassination of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei along with several senior military and security officials, including Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi, IRGC Commander Mohammad Pakpour, and Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani.This focus on cohesion has become particularly important amid growing concerns within the regime as the opposition abroad—including former Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and the Mujahedin-e Khalq Organization led by Maryam Rajavi—try to present themselves as capable of filling the vacuum that could result from a potential collapse of the regime.Rajavi has promoted a "Ten-Point Plan" for governing Iran, while Pahlavi has sought to secure support from several Western countries, particularly the United States, as part of broader efforts to position himself for a potential political return.These concerns could also explain why the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps conducted <a href="https://www.mehrnews.com/news/6827870/%D8%B1%D8%B2%D9%85%D8%A7%DB%8C%D8%B4-%D8%B3%D9%BE%D8%A7%D9%87-%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A8%D8%B2%D8%B1%DA%AF-%D8%A8%D8%A7-%D8%B1%D9%85%D8%B2-%D9%84%D8%A8%DB%8C%DA%A9-%DB%8C%D8%A7-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%86%D9%87-%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D8%B1%DA%AF%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D8%AF" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">military exercises</a> in Tehran on May 12, 2026 in coordination with Basij forces.3. Reinforcing Mojtaba Khamenei’s Control Over Decision-Making: It was notable that Mojtaba Khamenei’s meeting with Ali Abdollahi coincided with Iran’s response to US negotiation proposals to Pakistan.The Iranian response reportedly emphasized that Iran’s current priority was ending the war, implying the postponement of negotiations over the nuclear file—a matter of particular importance to Washington.The message here appeared clear: despite avoiding public appearances and limiting himself in recent weeks to written statements and meetings with officials, the Supreme Leader remains firmly in control of the decision-making process. Additionally, Iran’s position aligned closely with directives previously issued by Mojtaba Khamenei prohibiting discussions of the nuclear issue, at least during the current stage of negotiations.4. Sending a Defiant Message to President Trump: These meetings also seem to have been intended, in part, to serve as a response to statements made by US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly promoted what he views as the achievements secured by the United States during the forty days of military strikes carried out on Iran.Among Trump’s claims was the assertion that most pillars of the Iranian regime had effectively been eliminated. On May 2, 2026, Trump stated that Iran’s leaders had disappeared, and there was no one left to deal with.Accordingly, the meetings appear designed to challenge Trump’s narrative and reaffirm the Iranian regime’s continued survival and ability to manage the crises it currently faces.ConclusionOverall, these meetings suggest that the Iranian regime has begun to recognize the seriousness of the new Supreme Leader’s health condition, which may prevent him from appearing publicly for an unknown period of time.These circumstances are likely to exacerbate Iran’s ongoing political struggles, amid growing indications that the Iranian political scene is entering a period of difficult political challenges, particularly if the war resumes following threats issued by President Trump after his return from China.

Why Has Iran’s New Supreme Leader Stepped Up His Visibility?