Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Wednesday that communication with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is currently “very difficult” while describing his presence as “a major source of strength” for the country.

Speaking in an interview broadcast by Iranian state television to mark the second anniversary of his inauguration, Pezeshkian said the more openly officials present issues to the supreme leader, the easier it becomes to reach mutual understandings.

He described Khamenei as an “exceptional” figure, saying he had been impressed by his ethics, humility and reasoning.

Pezeshkian also accused some people of trying to “create divisions” inside the country under the pretext of the supreme leader’s message on the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, a 14-point framework signed on June 17, 2026 by US President Donald Trump and Pezeshkian to formalize a ceasefire, lift naval blockades and end active military operations. Khamenei publicly endorsed the memorandum despite initial reservations.

The Iranian president said Iran’s adversaries were intensifying pressure through sanctions and military confrontation in an effort to fuel public dissatisfaction and encourage protests, describing the current period as the most difficult since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Khamenei became Iran's supreme leader on March 8 following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei, in a joint US–Israeli airstrike in Tehran on Feb. 28.

The leadership change came as Iran entered into direct military confrontation with the United States following a joint US-Israeli offensive. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting Gulf countries that host US military bases.

The US and Iran agreed to a ceasefire in April and subsequently signed a Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding in June aimed at ending their military conflict and reaching a lasting peace agreement.

The deal, however, collapsed last month, with the two sides exchanging attacks for nearly two weeks before Trump abruptly halted the bombardment amid reports of talks to resolve the conflict. (AA)