“New Khamenei” will meet with Putin first – TASS

The first foreign leader with whom the new Supreme Leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, may have a direct conversation or personal meeting could be Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This statement was disseminated by the Russian state TASS on July 18, 2026, citing an unnamed high-ranking Iranian official.

There is currently no talk of an agreed meeting or an officially scheduled phone conversation. The source only suggests that it is Putin who may become the first foreign leader with whom Khamenei will establish direct contact.

However, the political symbolism of such a choice is obvious: Donald Trump wanted to personally participate in the appointment of the new ruler of Iran, declared Mojtaba Khamenei’s candidacy unacceptable, and warned that without American approval, he “would not last long.” Tehran chose Khamenei, and now the first interlocutor for him is not the US president, but Putin.

What exactly did TASS report

The main part of the TASS report was not devoted to Russian-Iranian relations, but to the absence of Mojtaba Khamenei in public.

According to the Iranian source, the new Supreme Leader will not appear at public events while the war with the US and Israel continues and the threat to his security remains. Iranian authorities allegedly expect the situation to stabilize, after which Khamenei will be able to openly address the citizens.

The same source stated that the first international contact of the Supreme Leader could be a phone conversation or meeting with Putin.

“Russia is a close country to us, and Putin is a close friend of the Islamic Republic,” the source told TASS.

This news has a fundamentally important caveat.

Neither the administration of the Supreme Leader of Iran, nor the government of Masoud Pezeshkian, nor the Kremlin have officially announced the preparation of a conversation. The date, format, location of the possible meeting, or the range of issues have not been named.

Therefore, the correct wording is as follows: an anonymous Iranian official suggests that the first direct foreign interlocutor of Mojtaba Khamenei may be Putin.

Headlines claiming that the meeting has already been decided are ahead of the facts.

The new Supreme Leader, whom no one has seen

Mojtaba Khamenei became the Supreme Leader after the death of his father Ali Khamenei. The former leader of Iran was killed on February 28, 2026, during the first US-Israeli strikes.

The decision to choose a successor was made by the Iranian Assembly of Experts on March 8, and the official announcement was made on March 9. The new Supreme Leader is 56 years old. He is considered a representative of the hardline wing of the regime and has close ties with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

However, Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared before the citizens since his appointment.

No new video or audio recordings with his participation have been published. He was also not present at the main farewell ceremonies for his father, which took place in Iran in July.

According to Reuters, Khamenei sustained serious injuries during the strike on February 28. Iranian sources spoke of facial injuries and other traumas. President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed in May that the Supreme Leader’s condition is gradually improving.

The Iranian leadership explains Khamenei’s absence with security measures. The movements of high-ranking officials and the holding of personal meetings could help Israeli or American intelligence determine his whereabouts.

However, the prolonged disappearance is becoming a political problem for the regime itself.

The Supreme Leader of Iran is not only a religious figure. He holds supreme power in matters of defense, foreign policy, the activities of the IRGC, and the nuclear program. The country is being asked to believe that this person is making strategic decisions, although citizens have not seen or heard him since his appointment.

Reuters notes that the absence of a new image or voice recording of Khamenei increases uncertainty within the country. Even regime supporters are questioning how long the leader of a theocratic state can remain completely invisible.

Donald Trump wanted to choose Iran’s ruler himself

The TASS report is given a special irony by statements made by Donald Trump before the election of Mojtaba Khamenei.

On March 5, 2026, the US president told Axios that he should personally participate in the selection of the new Supreme Leader of Iran.

“Khamenei’s son is unacceptable to me,” Trump said, adding that Washington wants to see a leader who will bring “harmony and peace” to Iran.

Trump also compared the alleged American intervention in the Iranian process to US influence on the formation of power in Venezuela.

On March 8, a few hours before the Assembly of Experts announced its decision, the US president increased the pressure.

In an interview with ABC News, he stated that the new leader of Iran must receive American approval:

“If he does not receive our approval, he will not last long.”

Tehran responded demonstratively.

Mojtaba Khamenei became the Supreme Leader — a candidate whom Trump publicly called unacceptable. His appointment was supported by the IRGC, which became the dominant force in making major political and military decisions after the death of Ali Khamenei.

Now the Russian state agency reports that Putin may become the first direct foreign contact of this leader.

Donnie wanted to decide who would rule Iran. But Iran chose the Khamenei he rejected, and the first in line for a conversation, according to Russian propaganda, is the Kremlin’s master.

Why Putin

The choice of Putin as the first foreign interlocutor would not be accidental.

On January 17, 2025, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement in Moscow for 20 years.

The document provides for the coordination of foreign policy, cooperation in security and defense, the development of military-technical ties, joint exercises, energy projects, transport corridors, and interaction between the financial systems of the two states.

Iran and Russia are also interested in weakening Western sanctions, developing settlements in national currencies, and creating alternative economic infrastructure.

A separate section of the agreement is devoted to the interaction of state media. Moscow and Tehran agreed to coordinate efforts against what they call “disinformation” and “negative propaganda.” For two authoritarian regimes, control over the information space is not an addition but one of the main tools for maintaining power.

After Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment, Putin sent him a congratulatory message. In a message on the occasion of Nowruz, the Kremlin called Russia a “faithful friend and reliable partner” of Iran.

At the same time, Reuters sources in Iran said that the real Russian assistance during the largest crisis of the Islamic Republic since 1979 turned out to be significantly more modest than Moscow’s public statements.

In April, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi brought a message from Mojtaba Khamenei to Putin. The Russian president, in response, asked to convey to the Supreme Leader that Moscow intends to continue the strategic partnership with Tehran.

Therefore, political correspondence between them already exists.

When TASS talks about the “first international contact,” it most likely refers to the first direct conversation — by phone, secure video link, or during a personal meeting.

Moscow has already sent Medvedev to Iran

On July 3, the Russian delegation at the mourning events in Iran was headed by the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev.

He met with President Masoud Pezeshkian, heads of the judiciary, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and other representatives of the Iranian regime.

However, there was no report of Medvedev meeting with Mojtaba Khamenei himself. The new Supreme Leader did not appear at his father’s funeral and did not publicly receive foreign delegations.

This makes a potential conversation with Putin even more significant for Russian propaganda.

The Kremlin will be able to present it as proof of Russia’s special status: the new leader of Iran allegedly entrusted his first international contact to Moscow.

For Tehran, such a conversation will be a signal to Washington and Jerusalem: the Islamic Republic is not isolated and retains the support of a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

But NAnews — Israel News notes: a symbolic contact does not yet mean Russia’s readiness to go to war for Iran.

An alliance without an obligation to fight

The Russian-Iranian agreement does not contain a provision on mutual defense.

If Iran is attacked, Russia is not obliged to automatically send troops, launch retaliatory strikes, or enter into a direct war with Israel and the US.

This fundamentally distinguishes the Iranian agreement from Moscow’s agreements with North Korea and Belarus. Iranian representatives emphasized that Tehran is not interested in joining a defense bloc and intends to ensure its security independently.

Moscow can help Iran diplomatically, exchange intelligence data, supply technologies, develop nuclear energy, and block undesirable initiatives for Tehran on international platforms.

But the agreement does not require Putin to fight for the Khamenei regime.

This explains the duality of Russian policy. The Kremlin calls Iran a strategic partner and condemns American and Israeli strikes, but at the same time tries not to bring relations with Washington to a complete break and avoids direct military confrontation with Israel.

Russia wants to benefit from the alliance with Iran without taking on all the associated risks.

What a possible conversation means for Israel

For Israel, a possible first contact between Khamenei and Putin will be an important political, but not yet military, event.

It will show that the new leadership of Iran intends to continue the foreign policy of the previous regime, relying on cooperation with Russia, China, and regional structures controlled by Tehran.

The appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei with the support of the IRGC has already become a signal of maintaining a hardline course. In his first public written statement after his father’s funeral, he promised to avenge the death of Ali Khamenei and other Iranians killed during the war.

A possible conversation with Putin could address:

• further military and technical support for Iran;
• protection of Iranian interests in the UN Security Council;
• restoration of damaged energy and military infrastructure;
• cooperation around the Bushehr nuclear power plant;
• supplies of weapons and technologies;
• the situation in the Strait of Hormuz;
• Moscow’s attempts to mediate between Tehran and Washington.

However, the list of possible topics is currently an analysis, not a published agenda for the meeting. Officially, no conversation has yet been confirmed.

A political gift to Russian propaganda

The story spread by TASS perfectly fits the Russian information line.

It simultaneously portrays Putin as an international mediator, the most important partner of Iran, and the person to whom the new Supreme Leader turns before other world leaders.

At the same time, there is no evidence that the conversation has already been agreed upon.

The TASS source is unnamed. The date is absent. The Kremlin is silent. Official Iranian structures are silent. Mojtaba Khamenei himself has not appeared before the cameras and has not confirmed the intention to meet with the Russian president.

Therefore, this is primarily a political signal and a trial information balloon.

If the contact takes place, it will be a symbolic victory for Moscow and a demonstrative response from Tehran to Trump.

If it does not take place, TASS can always refer to the cautious word “may.”

Trump wanted to decide, but Putin may be the first to call

Several lines converged in this story.

Trump demanded the right to participate in the selection of the Supreme Leader of another state.

He declared Mojtaba Khamenei an unacceptable candidate.

He warned that without American approval, the new leader of Iran would not last long.

Iran ignored these statements and chose Mojtaba Khamenei.

Now Russian state propaganda claims that the first foreign leader with whom the new Khamenei may directly talk or meet will be Putin.

But NAnews — Israel News emphasizes: only the TASS report citing an anonymous Iranian official has been confirmed so far.

The correct formula for the news is:

Trump wanted to appoint a new leader for Iran. Iran chose the one Trump banned, and now Putin is being touted as his first interlocutor.