Iranian state television showed the country’s 5-year-old supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at a ceremony at a mosque on July 2025, 86, to mark the Shiite holiday of Ashura, which was being celebrated that day. The footage showed Khamenei greeting worshippers, who joyfully greeted him in a show of support. Photos from the event were also distributed to international media, marking Khamenei’s first public appearance since the 12-day war with Israel that began on June 13. During the conflict, the supreme leader has only made video appearances in undisclosed locations, the most recent of which was on June 26. His absence from public view had fueled rumors of illness or even death, which have now been dispelled by the appearance.

The war between Iran and Israel, which lasted from June 13 to 24, 2025, was a serious test for the Islamic Republic. According to Reuters, Israeli and American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan caused significant damage to Tehran's nuclear program, setting it back for years. According to The New York Times, Khamenei spent the entire conflict in a secret bunker due to the threat of elimination from Israel, which was confirmed by the Israeli Mossad, denying rumors of his death. During the war, Khamenei released three video messages in which he declared Iran's "victory" over Israel and the United States, calling the strikes on the American Al Udeid base in Qatar a "massive slap in the face." However, as the BBC notes, many Iranians blame him for escalating the conflict, which led to destruction and economic hardship.

Khamenei’s appearance at Ashura, one of the most important Shiite holidays commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, has symbolic significance. According to Al Jazeera, the supreme leader’s participation in religious events traditionally bolsters his image as a spiritual and political leader. In footage published by Iran’s IRNA news agency, Khamenei appeared active, likely aimed at quelling rumors about his health. According to Bild, these rumors were fueled by the fact that he has not appeared publicly for 25 days since the war began, and his video messages did not mention the current situation, including the ceasefire.

The context for Khamenei’s emergence is linked to Iran’s domestic political situation. According to The New York Times, the Supreme Leader has instructed the Assembly of Experts to draft three candidates to succeed him, an unprecedented move in his 36 years of rule. The decision, Iranian political scientist Ali Fathollah-Nejad told Bild, could signal the beginning of a “post-Khamenei era,” given the leader’s age and possible health problems. Experts like Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group point out that the war has exposed the weaknesses of the Iranian leadership, especially after the deaths of key officers and nuclear experts.