Moscow, July 18 (IANS) Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei's first international contact could be a telephone conversation or meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, local media reported on Saturday.

"Russia is a country close to us, and His Excellency [Vladimir] Putin is a close friend of the Islamic Republic. And perhaps the first call and first meeting will be with President Putin," an Iranian source told Russia’s state-owned Tass news agency.

"But at the moment, due to the military situation and security considerations, he ( Mojtaba Khamenei) does not appear in public," the told the leading Russian news agency.

Mojtaba Khamenei was selected as Iran's new Supreme Leader in March this year following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, in missile strikes carried out by the United States and Israel on February 28.

Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed that Iran would avenge the death of Ali Khamenei.

"We vow to avenge your blood and the blood of all the martyrs of these two wars by punishing the criminal and disgraced murderers. This revenge is the will of our people, and it must be carried out," Khamenei said in a written statement ahead of his father's funeral this month.

Citing an Iranian source, Tass reported on Saturday that Khamenei will not appear in public until Iran's military conflict with the United States and Israel continues.

"His Excellency will not appear in public for the foreseeable future for security reasons. The government is waiting for the situation to return to normal. He will then appear in public," the source told the news agency.

On Thursday, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia continues contacts with its Iranian counterparts despite the new escalation of “American aggression” in the Persian Gulf, state media reported.

"We continue contacts with our Iranian colleagues," he said.

Washington and Tehran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) last month, calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. Subsequently, US-Iranian talks were held in Burgenstock, Switzerland, to implement the memorandum.

–IANS

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