Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, has made a notable public appearance in Tehran during a religious gathering, marking his first since the recent 12-day military conflict between Iran and Israel. The 85-year-old leader was seen in a broadcast video from state media on Saturday, showing him at a mosque for a ceremony commemorating Ashura, an important date in the Shia Muslim calendar. The video displayed Khamenei engaging with the crowd, waving and acknowledging their chants as they stood in his presence at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in central Tehran. Khamenei hadn’t been seen publicly since the combat began on June 13, and his addresses have been limited to pre-recorded messages.
The United States, aligned with Israeli actions, conducted airstrikes on three major Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22. President Donald Trump had issued warnings to Khamenei, indicating awareness of the Iranian leader’s whereabouts without intentions of targeting him, at least for the time. On June 26, a pre-recorded message from Khamenei on state television dismissed Trump’s calls for submission, declaring that Iran had retaliated against the US by targeting an American airbase in Qatar. Trump responded by calling out Khamenei to acknowledge the situation truthfully.
Iran has reported over 900 deaths and thousands of injuries resulting from the conflict, with its counterattacks on Israel resulting in at least 28 casualties. A ceasefire between the nations was instated on June 24. Post-conflict, Iran confirmed notable damage to its nuclear infrastructure and blocked access for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors. These inspectors had stayed in Tehran during the hostilities, despite Israeli strikes on Iranian military and civilian targets.
Following the signing of a law by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday—which halted collaboration with the IAEA—inspectors left the country. On Friday, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi underscored the imperative of continuing dialogue with Iran to resume oversight of its nuclear operations. Talks between Iran and the US regarding Iran’s nuclear program had been underway when hostilities erupted. The US has been pushing for a renewed agreement since withdrawing from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under Trump’s administration.
On Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reiterated Iran’s commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), dismissing rumors of Iran’s exit from the international accord.
