Overview

• Khamenei waved to a chanting crowd upon entering Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosque on July 5 during the eve of Ashura.
• His in-person appearance was the first since Israel’s surprise air strikes on June 13 triggered a 12-day war.
• State media outlets including Fars news agency shared footage of him seated among senior officials under heightened security.
• Iran has denied UN nuclear inspectors access to its facilities since the strikes, escalating concerns over its nuclear program.
• President Trump publicly acknowledged that US forces knew Khamenei’s location but had no plans to target him.