TEHRAN- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday he had met the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, in person and spoken with him for two and a half hours.

Pezeshkian, speaking at a meeting with trade unions and market representatives, said the exchange was "completely unmediated".

"What stood out to me more than anything else in this meeting was (Mojtaba Khamenei's) manner, perspective, and deeply sincere and humble behavior, an approach that transformed the atmosphere into one based on trust, calmness, empathy, and direct dialogue," Pezeshkian said.

Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed by the Assembly of Experts following the martyrdom of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated by the US and Israel on 28 February.

In a separate part of his speech on Thursday, Pezeshkian called for tighter management of energy consumption and warned against excessive spending.

He said Iran's survival depended on unity and cautioned against labelling citizens as corrupt, treasonous, or working as spies.

"People should not simply be accused of corruption, treason, or espionage, creating false boundaries between different sections of society," Pezeshkian said.