Pezeshkian Confirms Supreme Leader’s Approval for U.S.-Iran Ceasefire

Iran’s President confirms that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei sanctioned the two-week ceasefire with the US, framing it as a strategic victory for the nation.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 9, 2026, 2:52 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from The Times of Israel

A Display of Unified Strategic Consolidation

In a formal statement released via the Telegram messaging app on April 9, 2026, President Masoud Pezeshkian underscored that the current ceasefire reflects a "unanimous" consensus within the Islamic Republic’s highest governing bodies. Pezeshkian sought to frame the two-week pause in hostilities not as a concession under military pressure, but as a deliberate diplomatic maneuver intended to capitalize on Iran’s "proud victories" over the last month. The President emphasized that this decision was only possible due to the "public resilience" of the Iranian people, who have endured weeks of devastating air strikes on the nation's petrochemical and military infrastructure since the war began on February 28.

The Shadow of the Supreme Leader

The President’s confirmation that the deal was approved by Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is particularly significant given the leader's continued absence from public view. Mojtaba Khamenei, who ascended to the role after his father, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the initial strikes of the war, has yet to appear in any verified photos or videos in his official capacity. While a written statement attributed to him was read on state television earlier this week, his lack of physical presence has fueled international speculation regarding his location and the stability of the transitional government. Pezeshkian’s statement aimed to quell these rumors by presenting the Supreme Leader as a decisive commander-in-chief who is actively steering the nation's "True Promise 4" campaign.

Framing the Ceasefire as an American Capitulation

The Iranian leadership is aggressively promoting a narrative that the ceasefire represents a "historical and crushing defeat" for the United States. Following the announcement of the Islamabad Accord—a Pakistani-brokered framework for a two-week truce—Iran’s Supreme National Security Council claimed that Washington was forced to accept a 10-point plan that includes the lifting of all sanctions and a U.S. withdrawal from the region. While the White House has largely dismissed these claims as domestic propaganda, Pezeshkian reiterated that the pause in fighting is a "diplomatic fruit" born from the blood of the martyred former leader. This framing is essential for maintaining the support of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who...