CNN
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Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attended a religious gathering on Saturday, according to Iran’s national media outlet news television, which was released for the first time in weeks.
Khamenei has not appeared in public since his country fell into conflict on June 13, when Israel unilaterally bombed Iran’s military and nuclear sites. The United States later joined, bombing three important Iranian nuclear sites before President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire.
In a video posted by Press TV on X, Khamenei waves to the crowd of black-clad worshippers marking the eve of Ashura, Shia Muslims mourn the death of Hussain Ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. The crowd greeted the clergy in turn with cheers and hymns.
Khamenei, the Middle East’s longest dominant leader, reportedly hid the 12-day conflict between Israel and the United States in a bunker with little access to external communication. During the conflict, both Israeli politicians and Trump had openly debated about overthrowing Khamenei’s government and forcing him to abdicate.
After reportedly rejecting Israel’s plan, Trump said in late June that the clergy were “a simple target.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also refused to target Khamenei by saying his death would “not escalate the conflict” and “end it.”
In a recorded statement posted from an unpublished location since the start of the ceasefire, Khamenei was rebellious and declared victory over both Israel and the United States. Khamenei took the time to respond directly to President Donald Trump, who had called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” shortly before he ordered a US airstrike.
“This (the conflict) is not about our nuclear program,” Khamenei said. “This is about Iran’s surrender… In his statement, (Trump) revealed the truth and he showed his hand. Americans have had fundamental problems with Islamic Iran since our revolution.”
“And that’s never going to happen,” Khamenei said of Trump’s demand.
Nevertheless, the conflict between Israel and the US is likely to have hurt Khamenei’s reputation in Iran, analysts told CNN in June. Israel’s first strike, in its depth, killed some of the country’s top military leaders on the first day.
“The Islamic Republic had one social contract with society. It meant that they had taken all their freedom. “Now that image is shattered into the eyes of Iranian people.”
Khamenei’s new public figure, the day after Trump told Air Force reporters, said the US would not allow Iran to resume its nuclear program.
“If they started, there would be problems. They wouldn’t allow that to happen,” Trump said Friday.
Trump said he will discuss his previous strike with Netanyahu, who is scheduled to visit Washington on Monday.
The comments said in the aforementioned remarks made by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday that his country must maintain a “air superiority” over Iran to prevent it from restructuring its nuclear or missile production program.
Trump reiterated his claim that Iran would like to meet with the US for consultation. Iranian officials have repeatedly denied it.
The Trump administration has discussed the possibility of helping Iran support $30 billion in access to create a nuclear program for private energy production, ease sanctions and freeing billions of dollars with Iran’s limited funds.