Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attends a ceremony to mark Ashura, in Tehran, Iran, .. Reuters
Tehran: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first public appearance since the escalation of conflict with Israel, attending a religious ceremony in Tehran.
The 85-year-old leader appeared in a video broadcast by state media on Saturday, participating in a gathering at the Imam Khomeini Mosque to observe Ashura, the holiest day in the Shia Muslim calendar.
Khamenei waved and nodding to a crowd that cheered as he entered the mosque. The event marked his return to public engagement after avoiding appearances since hostilities intensified on June 13. Previously, his speeches had been delivered solely through prerecorded messages.
The conflict has drawn international attention, with the United States warning Iran amid its involvement. On June 22, the US conducted strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites. President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged that US forces knew Khamenei’s whereabouts but stated there were no plans to target him at that time.
Earlier, on June 26, Khamenei rejected Trump’s calls for Iran’s surrender, asserting that Iran had delivered a “slap to America’s face” by attacking 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 his country. You have to tell the truth. You got beat to hell.”
