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,” Pashinian said in a congratulatory message publicized by his office. “Taking this opportunity, I wish the friendly people of Iran prosperity and lasting peace.”
Pashinian 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 continuing 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 U.S.-Israeli military campaign.
Pashinian has been accused by his domestic critics of ignoring potential security fallout from the war and focusing on his reelection campaign instead. Pashinian and senior members of his Civil Contract party toured the southern Armavir and Ararat provinces right after the outbreak of the hostilities. Videos posed on Facebook showed them happily chatting and eating pies on a bus carrying them.
Pashinian released on Saturday similar images of his and his entourage’s campaign trip to other parts of the country. One of the videos showed them dancing on the bus on their way back to Yerevan. The prime minister insisted on Thursday that he has not been careless in the face of the war’s growing impact on the wider region.
Iran is a major trading partner of Armenia and one of the landlocked country’s two commercial conduits to the outside world. Citing technical problems, Tehran has twice briefly closed the Iranian-Armenian border since February 28.