Tehran: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei on Saturday to address pressing economic issues, foreign trade, energy challenges, and the trajectory of the ongoing war, according to local media reports.
The semi-official Mehr news agency reported that the high-level meeting focused heavily on the country's economic management, resource allocation, and immediate measures needed to secure public livelihoods amid severe external pressure.
The meeting follows statements made by Pezeshkian earlier in the week regarding the challenges facing Iran's leadership structure. Speaking in an interview published by his office, Pezeshkian acknowledged that while maintaining direct communication with the Supreme Leader remains "very difficult at the moment," his leadership provides a vital foundation for the nation.
Pezeshkian noted that the United States and Israel had targeted former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28 under the assumption that the country would collapse. However, the regime maintained continuity, with the Assembly of Experts selecting Mojtaba Khamenei—Ali Khamenei's son—to succeed him in early March.
Describing current conditions as the "most difficult" in the Islamic Republic's history, Pezeshkian cited the cumulative pressure of a naval blockade, an ongoing military conflict, tightened international banking restrictions, and severe curbs on foreign transactions.
Simultaneously, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi clarified Tehran's diplomatic position on Sunday, confirming that direct dialogue with Washington is currently halted.
Speaking to reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Centre for Political and International Studies, Araghchi stated that while third-party intermediaries continue efforts to facilitate dialogue, Iran will not return to the negotiating table without clear preconditions.
"We currently have no negotiations with the United States," Araghchi said, as reported by the Tasnim News Agency. "From our perspective, there can be no resumption of talks until the United States ends its violations of the Memorandum of Understanding and makes amends for the breaches it has committed."
(Inputs from IANS)