The Ayatollah resurfaced from his secret underground bunker Saturday for a brief appearance as deadly unrest continues to grip Iran.
Ali Khamenei’s reemergence was to mark the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, when the cleric’s brutal regime usurped power in 1979.
He was seen praying at the tomb of ex-Iranian Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini, in photos shared by his official X account.
It was the first time the Ayatollah had been seen in public since the protests erupted in late December over the country’s collapsing economy, which sparked a brutal crackdown by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps where as many as 35,000 protestors may have been killed.
Last week, Khamenei, 86, went into hiding reportedly over fears US airstrikes were imminent, after President Trump boasted the US Navy was sending a massive “armada” to Iran’s doorstep.
The supreme leader retreated to a fortified shelter in Tehran connected to a series of elaborate underground tunnels, leaving his youngest son in charge of the day-to-day management of the Islamic Republic, after senior military officials warned of the increasing likelihood of a US attack.
His resurfacing comes the same day that mystery explosions were heard in cities across the country, killing at least six people, and injuring more than a dozen.
It’s not yet clear who’s behind the blasts.
Khamenei also disappeared underground during the 12-Day War with Israel in June. He reportedly had even drafted a list of potential successors in the event he was killed in the short-lived conflict.
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