Crowd Chants 'Our Blood For Our Leader' As Khamenei Makes First Post-War Appearance

News18

2 days ago

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Khamenei's last public appearance was on 11 June, when he met with members of Iran's parliament
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 89, on Saturday made his first public appearance since the recent 12-day war between Iran and Israel, drawing loud chants of loyalty from supporters during a religious ceremony in Tehran.
Khamenei, who has been Iran's Supreme Leader since 1989 and holds ultimate authority in the country, was seen attending Ashura commemorations, one of the holiest events in the Shia Muslim calendar, which marks the martyrdom of Imam Hussein.
The event took place at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in central Tehran, and was broadcast on state television.
Video footage, also widely shared on social media platform X, shows Khamenei dressed in black, seated on stage as dozens of attendees chant with raised fists, 'The blood in our veins for our leader!" The phrase is a traditional expression of devotion in Iran, often used to show loyalty to top clerics or officials.
This is the first time the Supreme Leader has been seen in public since Israel launched a wave of air strikes on Iran on 13 June, marking the start of a deadly flare-up in their long-running shadow war. During the conflict, Khamenei refrained from public appearances, instead issuing pre-recorded messages, likely due to security concerns.
Before Saturday, Khamenei's last public appearance was on 11 June, when he met with members of Iran's parliament.
The war, which saw heavy bombardments from both sides, left more than 900 people dead in Iran, according to its judiciary. Iran's retaliatory missile attacks on Israeli cities killed at least 28 people, based on official reports.
(With inputs from AFP)
Location :
Tehran, Iran
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