Putin could be first foreign leader to speak with Iran's new supreme leader

Russian President Vladimir Putin could become the first foreign leader to hold talks with Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, according to a source cited by Russia's state news agency TASS.

The source said Khamenei's first international contact could take the form of either a telephone conversation or an in-person meeting with Putin.

"Russia is a country close to us, and His Excellency Vladimir Putin is a close friend of the Islamic Republic," the source told TASS. "Perhaps the first call and the first meeting will be with President Putin."

The source also said Khamenei will not make public appearances while the military conflict involving Iran, the United States, and Israel continues, citing security concerns.

"For security reasons, His Excellency will not appear in public in the near future," the source said, adding that Iranian authorities are waiting for the security situation to stabilise before the supreme leader resumes public engagements.

By Sabina Mammadli