The name of Yousef Pezeshkian, the son of Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and one of his advisers, has periodically made headlines in Arab media due to his social media posts. In recent days, attention has focused on a message he published regarding the health of Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
Last week, Pezeshkian wrote on Telegram: “I heard news that Mr. Mojtaba Khamenei had been injured. I have asked some friends who had connections. They told me that, thank God, he is safe and sound.”
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Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and his son Yousef
(Photo: Alexander NEMENOV / POOL / AFP)
The brief update appeared within a longer post in which the younger Pezeshkian described his day. He wrote that he had attended meetings with state media officials, noting that many participants believed they understood more than the president and sought to guide him. He added that a deep change was needed — shifting focus inward rather than outward — and suggested such a shift in worldview may not be realistic for the current generation.
He also described meeting friends who had sent their families out of Tehran and remained alone, and later visiting his siblings after several days apart. He wrote that they wondered whether his father’s presidency would end peacefully and whether life could return to normal. He also described snowfall in Tehran and walking part of the way to a meeting after traffic was disrupted, saying he was happy to see the snow.
Such posts are not unusual for the president’s son, who effectively maintains an online diary. Similar entries have continued even during the war.
On Iran’s Quds Day last weekend, he wrote that American planes and missiles woke them in the morning ahead of the al-Quds march. He said he initially planned to attend with his wife but decided the children should also join to see how Iranians stand against oppression. He described his son receiving a Palestinian flag, hearing an explosion and later learning that a woman had been killed.
He added that footage of the president at the rally drew significant attention, as did that of the head of Iran’s judiciary, and said he felt anger and at times wanted to cry after seeing various images.
In another post published Tuesday, Pezeshkian addressed a video released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meant to dispel rumors of his death, writing that it did not clarify the situation but instead added to the ambiguity, questioning why Netanyahu appeared casually rather than addressing the war directly.
In a separate post overnight, he wrote that conversations with people from different political groups showed their views were closer than expected, warning that a lack of dialogue could deepen divisions and urging unity.
His public visibility is notable given his family ties and official role. Pezeshkian, who holds a doctorate, works as an adviser in his father’s communications office. In recent days, he also defended his father after the president faced criticism within Iran for apologizing to Gulf states over Iranian strikes. He wrote that while some criticism of the speech may have merit, it was poorly timed and not beneficial to the country.
Pezeshkian has also voiced opposition to internet shutdowns in Iran. In January, during a peak in mass protests when authorities cut internet access, he wrote that sharing videos is an issue that will have to be addressed sooner or later and that shutting down the internet would not solve the problem but only delay it.
He warned that such measures would widen the gap between the public and the government and could increase public resentment, adding that security forces may have made mistakes that should be corrected. He maintains accounts on X, Telegram and Instagram.
On March 6, he wrote that many people had asked about his father’s condition, saying he believed the president was well despite not having visited him, and that there had been no urgent reason to take the risk of doing so. He added that “things are proceeding as usual” and called for a reassessment of end-of-war scenarios, arguing that decisions made now should align with a clear vision of the desired outcome after the war.