Ayatollah Khamenei reappears after Iran-Israel ceasefire
Ayatollah speaks
The New York Times writes that Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has resurfaced in a video message after several days of speculation about his whereabouts.
First response since the US bombings
The video message, Khamenei's first public statement since US warplanes bombed three of Iran's nuclear facilities, has been described by The New York Times as defiant.
'Victory'
According to The New York Times, the ayatollah congratulated the Iranian people for their “victory” over Israel and the United States.
Suspicions
The New York Times highlights the Supreme Leader didn't refer to the extent of US attacks and that there's nothing in the video or his comments that can pinpoint when it was recorded.
What is the Supreme Leader of Iran?
The 1979 Constitution of Iran establishes the country as an Islamic Republic, under the leadership of the Supreme Leader. This cleric serves not only as head of state, but also as the ultimate political and religious ruler, with his words taken as infallible.previous words
Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the days previous to the US strikes, spoke about the escalation between Tehran and Tel Aviv as President Donald Trump demanded that his country surrendered.
'The battle begins'
“In the name of the noble Haidar, the battle begins,” the Supreme Leader of Iran wrote in an online post in Farsi. British newspaper The Daily Mail explains that is a reference to Ali, whom Shia Muslims regard as the first imam and the rightful successor of the Prophet Mohammed.
'A strong response'
Khamenei also posted on X (formerly Twitter) a separate message in English: “We must give a strong response to the terrorist Zionist regime”.
A memorable 'surprise'
The Daily Post writes that the message from the Ayatollah comes hours after Iranian state media warned about a “surprise” that “the world will remember for centuries.”
Unconditional surrender
According to The New York Post, US President Donald Trump had requested beforehand the unconditional surrender of the government of Tehran, claiming that US intelligence knows the exact location of the Supreme Leader of Iran.
We know where you are
“We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump wrote on social media platform Truth Social.
