In Khamenei’s Name, Iran Calls for Domestic Production and Less Reliance on Dollar — But Iran Still Hasn’t Seen Him in Six Months

TEHRAN, Aug 28: Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called on the government on Friday to boost domestic production and gradually reduce the economy’s reliance on the US dollar, as the country faces mounting economic pressures and continued questions over his prolonged absence from public view. In a message marking Government Week, Khamenei urged authorities to address inflation, unemployment, prices and the regulation of goods and services, while promoting economic growth, investment and production under the Islamic Republic’s “resistance economy” policies. He said greater reliance on domestic production was the main key to resolving the country’s economic problems, while imports should be used “properly and wisely” when essential or specialized goods cannot be produced domestically. His remarks came after the Iranian rial fell to a new record low against the dollar, reportedly passing 2 million rials per dollar on the free market as Washington intensified sanctions against Tehran.

Khamenei’s latest written message was issued as his absence from public life enters its sixth month following the airstrikes that killed his father and brought him to the supreme leadership. Iranian officials and senior sources say he remains in control but is ruling from the shadows for security reasons while recovering from serious wounds and delegating day-to-day authority to senior officials. However, no photograph, video or audio message has been released since his appointment, and he was reportedly absent even from funeral rites for his father last month. His messages have instead been delivered through written statements read by state media. President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Aug. 10 that he had held a seven-hour meeting with Khamenei, while supporters and opponents alike have questioned whether the lack of a visible supreme leader is affecting confidence in Iran’s leadership at a time of war and severe economic strain.