Alexey Dedov, Russia’s ambassador to Iran, told Russian outlet RTVI on the 31st (local time) that, when asked whether he had contacted Iran’s new Supreme Leader, “As Iran’s leadership has repeatedly stated, the new leader is in Iran.”
He added, however, that he has not yet made contact with the new Supreme Leader and that “for various reasons, he has not appeared in public.”
Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died on the 28th of last month after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. On the 8th of this month, the Assembly of Experts — the 88-member constitutional body — met in an extraordinary session and elected Ali’s second son, Mojtaba, as his successor.
Since then, Mojtaba has not appeared in public and has not released any audio of his voice. Western officials say they suspect he may have been injured in the strikes.
Some speculated he had been transferred to Russia, but Dedov’s remarks appeared to dismiss those rumors.
Dedov emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the first to send a congratulatory message to Mojtaba, saying this “expresses continued support for Tehran and solidarity with our Iranian friends.”
He also said Russia continues to coordinate with Iranian authorities on safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and that their partners report no problems with Russian vessels transiting the area.
