Russian Ambassador Confirms Iran's New Supreme Leader

Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei has been confirmed as Iran's new Supreme Leader, a fact officially verified by the Russian Ambassador to Iran. In an interview with Russian media outlet RTVI, Ambassador Dedov, when asked if he had contacted Mojtaba Khamenei, replied, "As the Iranian leadership has repeatedly stated, the new leader is in Iran." He added, "I have not yet made direct contact with the new Supreme Leader," and noted, "He has not appeared in public for various reasons."

Mojtaba Khamenei is the second son of the former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who passed away on the 28th of last month. The Assembly of Experts, an Iranian constitutional body, elected him as the successor during an extraordinary session on the 8th of this month. Since his election, Mojtaba has not appeared in public, leading to various speculations about his whereabouts.

Ambassador Dedov stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin was among the first to send a congratulatory message to Mojtaba, emphasizing that this action "expresses continued support for Tehran and solidarity with our Iranian friends."

Regarding passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Ambassador Dedov also reported, "We are in continuous contact with Iranian authorities and have received confirmation from our partners that there are no issues with the passage of Russian vessels."