Iran’s Supreme Leader Makes First Public Appearance Since War

Iran‘s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has made his first public appearance since the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran began, attending a mourning ceremony on the eve of Ashura in Tehran. The 85-year-old leader appeared in a video aired by state media on Saturday, which showed dozens of people attending an event at a mosque to mark Ashura, the holiest day of the Shia Muslim calendar.

In the footage, Khamenei is seen waving and nodding to the chanting crowd, which rose to its feet as he entered the mosque. State TV said the clip was filmed at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in central Tehran. Khamenei has avoided public appearances since the start of the fighting on June 13, and his speeches have all been prerecorded.

Khamenei’s absence during the war suggested heavy security for the Iranian leader, who has the final say on all state matters. According to reports, he had spent the war in a bunker as threats to his life escalated. US President Donald Trump sent warnings via social media to Khamenei that the US knew where he was but had no plans to kill him, “at least for now”.

On June 26, in prerecorded remarks aired on state television, Khamenei rejected Trump’s calls for Iran’s surrender and said Tehran had delivered a “slap to America’s face” by striking a US airbase in Qatar. Trump replied, in remarks to reporters and on social media: “Look, you’re a man of great faith. A man who’s highly respected in your country. You have to tell the truth. You got beat to hell.”

The ceremony in Tehran commemorated the 7th-century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussein, a pivotal figure in Shia Islam. Shiites, representing over 10% of the world’s 1.8 billion Muslims, view Hussein as the rightful successor to the Prophet Muhammad. His death in battle at Karbala created a rift in Islam and continues to shape Shia identity.

Iran has confirmed serious damage to its nuclear facilities and denied access to them for inspectors from the United Nations’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA’s inspectors had stayed in the Iranian capital throughout the fighting but left after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a law suspending cooperation with the IAEA.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi stressed “the crucial importance” of dialogue with Iran to resume monitoring and verification work of its nuclear program as soon as possible. Iran was holding talks with the US on its nuclear program when Israel launched its attacks. The US has been seeking a new agreement after Trump pulled the US out of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Tehran signed with world powers in 2015.

Iran has acknowledged that more than 900 people were killed in the war, as well as thousands injured. Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks on Israel killed at least 28 people there. The conflict has resulted in significant humanitarian suffering, with many Iranians facing dire living conditions.

The timing of Khamenei’s reappearance is particularly symbolic, coinciding with the solemn observances of Muharram and the eve of Ashura. This period is characterized by deep mourning, religious ceremonies, and public processions, making it a crucial time for religious and political significance in Shia Islam.