Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran made his first public appearance since the military conflict with Israel.
According to reports from AP, AFP, and other foreign media on the 5th (local time), Iranian state television reported that Khamenei attended a Shia religious event held in Tehran that day. Khamenei appeared in traditional black attire, waving his hand and nodding in response to the cheers of the crowd.
The event was a mourning ceremony held a day before 'Ashura,' the biggest commemorative day for Shia Muslims, honoring the martyrdom of Imam Hussein 1,400 years ago. The footage released by state television captured scenes of the crowd raising their fists and chanting, "Blood flows for our leader in our veins" as Khamenei appeared.
The event took place at Imam Khomeini Mosque in central Tehran, and it is reported that many high-ranking officials, including the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, attended.
Khamenei has been ruling Iran for 36 years and made an appearance in a pre-recorded video last week. However, he had not appeared in public for over 20 days since the military conflict began following Israel's surprise airstrikes on the 13th of last month, raising suspicions among foreign media.
Some Western media reported that Khamenei sought refuge in an underground bunker due to concerns about the possibility of assassination. This public appearance is also interpreted as an attempt to dispel such 'rumors of hiding.'