Iran's Khamenei had gun during first public sermon in 5 years slamming Israel. Not for first time
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sported a gun during his first public sermon in 5 years
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had a gun by his side when he addressed a public sermon after Friday prayers on October 4, in the wake of Israel's killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon.
The sermon, his first in five years, also came days after Iran conducted a series of missile strikes on Israel in response to Nasrallah's killing. Addressing thousands of worshippers gathered at a Tehran mosque, Khamenei said Israel will not last long, and described the Iranian strikes on Israel as a "public service".
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The sermon took place just a few days ahead of the anniversary of the October 7 terror attacks on Israel that sparked off the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and a wider regional conflict.
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Khamenei last led a Friday prayer in January 2020 after Iran Guards chief Qassem Soleimani was killed in a US strike in Iraq.
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Praising Hezbollah as a "blessed tree" and hailing Hamas, he doubled down on Iran's support for resistance against Israel, which he described as a "tool" of American interests in the region.
About Nasrallah, Khamenei said his "martyrdom" would only strengthen resistance efforts.
Not the first time Iran leader sported a gun. Reason is...
Khamenei's appearance with the gun, while curious, is not a first. In June 2019, he sported a rifle while giving a sermon to mark the end of the Muslim Holy month of Ramadan.
Khamanei had reasons to be worried about his personal security as he always had threats to his life from countries including Israel and the United States.
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It was during one such sermon in 1985 that he faced an assassination attempt. A suicide bomber blew himself up near him, but the Iranian leader survived. Reportedly, he continued with the sermon after three minutes of gap.
That was not the first attempt on his life either. He was targeted several times in the past. The most significant assassination attempt was in 1981 when he was seriously injured when a bomb hidden in a tape recorder blew up during a Friday prayer sermon.
Khamenei was partially paralysed after that attack, and permanently lost use of his right arm.
(With inputs from agencies)
