Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei to deliver first public address as Supreme Leader: Reports

Tehran: The official Telegram channel for Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, announced Thursday that the leader will release his first public address "in a few moments," marking his first formal communication since ascending to the country's highest office.

The announcement did not clarify whether the address would take the form of a televised recording or a written communiqué. However, the channel provided a broad outline of the subjects the message is expected to cover.

"The first message of Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Islamic revolution, will be released in a few moments," the official statement read.

According to the channel, the address will pay tribute to the "martyred leader of the revolution," Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening salvos of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign on Feb. 28. Furthermore, the message is slated to define the "role and duties" of the Iranian populace, the nation's armed forces, and executive governmental bodies.

Crucially, the address is expected to outline the new leader’s stance on the "resistance front", the network of regional proxies, including Hezbollah and the Houthis, and provide direction for dealing with "enemies" as the conflict enters its second week.

The 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei, long considered a reclusive but powerful figure within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was appointed by the Assembly of Experts on Sunday. His first address is being closely watched by international observers for indications of whether Tehran will seek a path toward de-escalation or further entrench itself in the expanding regional war.

With inputs from AFP