Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has acknowledged that he has not personally met the country's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, whose whereabouts remain undisclosed amid heightened security concerns. Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera, Araghchi said the Iranian leadership had deliberately restricted information about Khamenei's location and public activities to prevent potential threats against him. According to the foreign minister, the decision not to release video footage, photographs or public addresses featuring the Supreme Leader is part of broader security precautions.
Araghchi maintained that Mojtaba Khamenei continues to participate in governing Iran despite his absence from public view. He said the Supreme Leader remains informed about major national developments and communicates his decisions to relevant government institutions and officials. The minister confirmed that he had not yet held a face-to-face meeting with Khamenei.
However, he said President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and other senior officials had met the Supreme Leader. Araghchi attributed the secrecy surrounding Khamenei's whereabouts to the security situation facing Iran, referring to the deaths of senior Iranian officials, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, during previous military confrontations. He emphasised that withholding information about the Supreme Leader's location and limiting his public appearances were deliberate measures intended to protect the country's leadership.
Mojtaba Khamenei was selected as Iran's Supreme Leader in March 2026 following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei. Since assuming the position, he has not made any publicly documented appearances, with information about his activities communicated primarily through official statements and Iranian state media. Although Araghchi confirmed that he had not personally met Khamenei, his account indicates that the Supreme Leader has reportedly received several senior officials, rather than only two individuals.
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