TEHRANAyatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, attended a funeral service on the eve of Ashoura on Saturday, marking his first public appearance since the start of the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran.
Khamenei’s absence during the conflict had implied that the Iranian leader, who has the last word on all affairs of state, was under strict protection. Iran’s state television showed Khamenei entering and sitting down while nodding and waving to the screaming audience.
Reports of any public statements were not immediately available.
Iran has admitted that thousands of people have been hurt and that over 900 people have died in the conflict. Additionally, it has denied inspectors from the U.N. nuclear watchdog access to the sites and acknowledged significant damage to its nuclear facilities.
In the capital, Tehran, Khamenei held a memorial service for the martyrdom of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, in the 7th century at a mosque adjacent to his home and office. Such gatherings are always conducted under strict security, and Iranian authorities, including the speaker of the Parliament, were in attendance.
More than 10% of the 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide are Shiites, who see Hussein as the Prophet Muhammad’s legitimate heir. Shiite identity is still greatly influenced by the divide in Islam caused by Hussein’s death in combat at Karbala, south of Baghdad, at the hands of Sunnis.
In Iran, which is primarily Shiite, black funeral tents and clothing symbolized sadness, while scarlet banners stood for Hussein’s blood. Fervor was shown by processions of men beating their chests and self-flagellating. In the extreme heat, some splashed the mourners with water.
Starting on June 13, Israel launched a persistent attack on Iran, focusing on its defensive systems, nuclear sites, senior military leaders, and atomic scientists. Iran responded by firing over 550 ballistic missiles at Israel; the most were intercepted, but the ones that did make it through killed 28 people and damaged other locations.
