Iran's New Supreme Leader Meets Judiciary Chief in Rare Public Appearance

Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, held a rare meeting with the head of the country's judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei. Khamenei, who assumed leadership in March following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, in alleged U.S.-Israeli strikes, has largely remained out of public view since his appointment. The circumstances of the meeting were not disclosed, according to a report by The Times of Israel, citing the Iranian judiciary's Mizan Online website.

During the talks, Khamenei and Ejei discussed protecting citizens' rights, combating corruption, and removing obstacles to this fight. They also focused on restoring rights and compensating for material and moral damages attributed by Iran to actions by the United States and Israel. Khamenei reportedly sustained injuries during the same attack that killed his father.

Since taking office, Mojtaba Khamenei has not addressed the public directly, with his positions primarily communicated through written statements, some allegedly bearing his handwritten notes. No video addresses have been released. The exact time and location of his meeting with Ejei, like previous reported encounters, were not revealed.

This meeting follows recent reports of Khamenei engaging with other high-ranking officials. Earlier in the week, he met with Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of parliament and Iran's chief negotiator, to discuss the ongoing war. In May, President Masoud Pezeshkian and Ali Abdollahi, who previously led the military operations coordinating Khatam al-Anbiya command center and later became Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, also held discussions with the new Supreme Leader.