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Senior Iranian official: 'Mojtaba Khamenei will not appear in public until the war ends'

18 July 2026 14:06 (UTC +04:00)

A senior Iranian official said Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, will not appear in public while the military conflict with the United States and Israel continues, TASS reports.

Khamenei will not make public appearances in the near future for security reasons.

"The government is waiting for the situation to stabilize. He will appear in public after that," the source said.

The source noted that Mojtaba Khamenei is avoiding public places due to the war and security concerns.

The Iranian source also said the Supreme Leader's first international contact could be with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to the source, Khamenei may hold a phone conversation or a meeting with Putin.

"Russia is a country close to us, and Putin is a close friend of the Islamic Republic. Perhaps the first phone call and the first meeting will be with President Putin," the source stressed.

It should be noted that Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen as Supreme Leader on February 28, succeeding his father, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the U.S. and Israeli attack on Iran.