YEREVAN (Azatutyun) — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Monday, March 9, congratulated Mojtaba Khamenei on succeeding his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as neighboring Iran’s supreme leader one week after the outbreak of the war with the United States and Israel.
Iran’s Assembly of Experts announced Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment late on Sunday. The new supreme leader will have final say in all political and military matters.
“I am confident that the strong ties between Armenia and Iran will continue to develop, recording new successes,” Pashinyan said in a congratulatory message publicized by his office. “Taking this opportunity, I wish the friendly people of Iran prosperity and lasting peace.”
Pashinyan last week paid tribute to Ali Khamenei, who was killed by US and Israeli forces at the start of their air strikes against the Islamic Republic on February 28. The Armenian premier praised his contribution to “the development of Armenia-Iran relations” in a letter of condolences sent to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Yerevan has reacted cautiously to the ongoing war that could have far-reaching ramifications for the South Caucasus nation’s security. It has called for a diplomatic solution to the conflict but refrained from criticizing the US-Israeli military campaign.
Pashinyan has been accused by his domestic critics of ignoring potential security fallout from the war and focusing on his reelection campaign instead. Pashinyan and senior members of his Civil Contract party toured the southern Armavir and Ararat provinces right after the outbreak of hostilities. Videos posed on Facebook showed them happily chatting and eating pies on a bus carrying them.
