&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Where was Khamenei hiding? Iran's Supreme Leader makes public appearance days after 12-day war with Israel")
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first public appearance on Saturday (Jul 5) since the start of his country's 12-day war with Israel. The Iranian supreme leader was seen attending a religious ceremony in central Tehran, state media reported. Dressed in traditional black mourning robes, the 86-year-old leader was seen on state television greeting a large crowd at the Imam Khomeini Mosque, where Shia Muslims were marking the martyrdom of Prophet Mohammed's grandson Imam Hussein.
Why did Khamenei go missing?
The Iranian supreme leader has been missing from the public for quite a while. His absence during the Israel-Iran conflict had given rise to speculations over his health. However, as crowds chanted, "The blood in our veins for our leader!" Khamenei on Saturday was seen waving and smiling, he appeared physically stable.
Earlier, amid the conflict between Israel and Iran, which the US entered later, Mehdi Fazaeli, head of Khamenei's archives office, during an interview with The New York Times, was asked about Khamenei's well-being: "People are very worried about the Supreme Leader." To this, Fazaeli, without offering a direct answer, ominously said, "We all should be praying."
He assured the host that the people who are responsible for protecting the Supreme Leader were doing their job well, and said, "God willing, our people can celebrate victory next to their leader, God willing."
Khamenei absent from action
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The appearance marked Khamenei's first in-person event since June 11 — just two days before Israel launched surprise airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites on June 13. The Israeli airstrikes ignited the most direct military confrontation between the two countries in decades.
On June 11, Khamenei met with members of parliament, and just last week, he released a pre-recorded message. However, his lack of public presence during the height of the conflict had drawn global attention. Meanwhile, reports suggested that the Supreme Leader had been hiding in a secure underground bunker and was avoiding all electronic communication to prevent assassination attempts. Khamenei's public reappearance may just be Iran's attempt at projecting stability and control after the so-called 12-day conflict.
