ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held his second in-person meeting with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei since war broke out with the US, with discussions focusing on the country’s economic situation and military affairs, state media reported Sunday.

The newly elected supreme leader has made no public appearances since his election, with only written statements and letters published under his name.

The two discussed “the country's issues and problems, especially meeting the people's livelihood needs, the current conditions of the third imposed war and the future, developments in the military field, strategies for securing resources,” according to a statement from state broadcaster IRIB.

Managing the value of the Iranian currency, energy exports and economic interactions with foreign parties were also discussed, the statement added.

The meeting marked Pezeshkian’s second official meeting with Khamenei since the outbreak of the US-Iran war and the supreme leader’s appointment.

Earlier in May, Pezeshkian described his first meeting with Khamenei as “prevailing,” while praising the supreme leader’s character and his engagement with others with “moral character and humility.”

Myriad top Iranian officials, including the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were killed during the US-Israeli military campaign that commenced in late February, disrupting the balance of power in the Islamic republic and positioning Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, as the new supreme leader.

However, the new supreme leader has yet to make a public appearance since his father's death, giving rise to speculation that he was severely wounded in the same strike and raising doubts regarding his effective control over the country's affairs.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly expressed confusion over Iran’s power structure, saying that Iran is having a very hard time “figuring out who their leader is,” while claiming there was an internal struggle between “hardliners” and “moderates.”

Iran has faced a worsening economy due to decades of international sanctions and additional pressure from the war.

Tehran has promoted a “resistance economy” strategy since 2010 to reduce its dependence on foreign markets. 

In May, Khamenei urged lawmakers to pass legislation supporting the strategy and easing economic pressure.