Iranian media say Ghalibaf met the unseen supreme leader

Iranian state media claimed that Parliament Speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf met with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, according to Breitbart. The report described the meeting as taking place on Wednesday.

The three headlines from Asharq Al-Awsat, The Times of Israel and Arab News also state that the two officials met; their headlines characterize the conversation as concerning war or its impact. Breitbart reported that the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) cited the information portal of the Supreme Leader’s office.

That office’s account said the discussion addressed what it called military, economic and psychological warfare waged by the “American-Zionist enemy.” This wording is the office’s characterization, rather than an independently established description of the events.

The account also referred to strengthening national power and lawmakers’ part in preserving unity and social cohesion. It mentioned continued public participation in gatherings, describing that presence as informed and deterrent, as well as cooperation between the government and parliament on economic and livelihood challenges.

It also cited advancing matters involving the country’s strategic partners. The reports’ headlines differ in the emphasis they place on the conversation: Asharq Al-Awsat says it addressed war’s impact, while The Times of Israel names the US-Israeli war. Arab News attributes its headline’s account to Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB.

These headline descriptions do not provide additional detail about what was said in the meeting. Breitbart said Khamenei had not appeared or spoken publicly since the February 28 airstrike that killed his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The report linked the start of that public absence to the airstrike, but did not identify who carried it out.

At the end of its excerpt, Breitbart quoted Ghalibaf writing, “Ten pills, all bad. Leave,” and described the post as seeming confused about the red and blue pills in the 1999 science-fiction movie. The excerpt does not explain how that remark relates to the reported meeting or provide further details about the post.