Overview

• On July 5, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei emerged publicly at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosque to observe the eve of Ashura, marking his first appearance since the 12-day war with Israel began.
• State television footage showed Khamenei seated among senior officials, including the parliament speaker, as chanting worshippers greeted him without any public remarks from the leader.
• Security experts believe Khamenei spent the conflict in a fortified underground bunker after direct threats to his life prompted near-total seclusion.
• U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan sites left the nuclear program “obliterated,” and Tehran has since denied UN inspectors access to its facilities.
• Analysts say his prolonged absence and guarded return underscore deep security worries and fuel debate over leadership succession within Iran’s ruling elite.