Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, made his first public appearance on Saturday since the country’s 12-day war with Israel, according to state media.
Khamenei, 86, appeared at a religious ceremony in Tehran to mark the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a pivotal figure in Shia Islam.
The event was held at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in central Tehran, named after the Islamic Republic’s founder.
State television aired footage showing Khamenei dressed in black, standing on stage as worshippers, raising their fists, chanted, “The blood in our veins for our leader!”
This marks Khamenei’s first public sighting since before the conflict erupted on June 13, when Israel launched a series of surprise airstrikes on Iran.
His last in-person appearance had been two days prior, during a meeting with Iranian lawmakers.
Though he delivered a message last week via a pre-recorded video, concerns had lingered over his public absence during the height of the conflict.
The war, which intensified a long-standing shadow confrontation between the two nations, saw over 900 Iranians killed in the Israeli air campaign, according to Iran’s judiciary.
In retaliation, Iranian missile strikes targeting Israeli cities left at least 28 people dead, based on official Israeli figures.
The conflict reignited global concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, a claim Tehran has repeatedly denied and drew sharp scrutiny from international observers.
