Iranian President Masoud Bazshakian stated on Wednesday that communication with the Iranian Supreme Leader is 'very difficult' at present.
Bazshakian, in comments broadcasted by Iranian television, mentioned that reaching out to Mojtaba Khamenei is 'extremely difficult' currently, adding, 'However, his presence remains a significantly strong point for us.'
The Iranian President also noted that some factions have attempted to create divisions within the country, using as a pretext what he described as issues linked to the leader's message regarding a memorandum of understanding with Washington.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly since taking over as Iran's Supreme Leader, succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in joint U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28th.
No Resignation or Step Down
These statements came after President Bazshakian, on Tuesday, clarified that he has neither resigned nor hinted at stepping down, asserting his dedication to his role amidst escalating disagreements within governmental institutions concerning negotiations and power distribution among state bodies and military and security agencies, particularly in the absence of Mojtaba Khamenei.
Bazshakian emphasized that his remarks, marking the start of his third year in office, respond to a campaign aiming to weaken the government by showing it as divided from other state institutions. He declared in a snippet from a televised interview titled 'Report to the People,' released in four parts: 'If I wish to resign, I will publicly announce my resignation. I will not resign; I will stand firm.'
He further mentioned that efforts are being made to depict a rift between him and the leader, stating: 'They want to create a conflict; the leadership says one thing, and they say another, but the evident does not need explanation.'
Threatened Resignation 28 Times
Bazshakian asserted that his government is 'fully coordinated' with the military forces and dismissed narratives portraying the government at odds with the military institution. He questioned, 'If I threatened to resign contrary to the leadership’s wish, won’t they stand against me? That is unfair to those individuals.'
His response came following the circulation of a recording from notable cleric Mohammad Baqer Kharazi, claiming that Bazshakian resigned or threatened to resign 28 times since taking office in 2024.
'Official and Public Position'
The Revolutionary Guard-affiliated Fars news agency quoted Kharazi saying Mojtaba Khamenei wrote: 'If Mr. Bazshakian wants to resign again, I will approve his resignation.' Kharazi added that this position was declared 'officially and publicly.'
Kharazi also revealed that the warning attributed to Mojtaba Khamenei led Bazshakian and his team to temper their positions and cease threatening to resign. He did not specify when the warning was issued or which entity was informed.
Kharazi is the brother-in-law of Masoud Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei’s younger brother, and the nephew of Kamal Kharazi, former foreign minister and head of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, who was killed in the recent conflict.