Iran’s Supreme Leader, 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, suddenly disappeared for nearly two weeks during recent fighting with Israel. According to reports, he hadn’t been seen since June 11, just before Israel started bombing Iran on June 13.
Khamenei finally stepped back into view on July 5 at a mourning ceremony in Tehran. Looking thin but calm, he sat quietly while crowds marked Ashura, a holy day for Muslims. His surprise return came as Iran faces huge challenges: Nuclear sites lie in ruins, with the U.S. saying Iran’s atomic program is “obliterated”. Iran has now stopped working with UN nuclear inspectors.
More trouble brews inside Iran’s government too. Powerful army groups are fighting for control once Khamenei dies, with some wanting less religious rule.
While missiles hit Tehran and other cities, Khamenei vanished completely. State TV showed no videos of him, and officials gave confusing answers when asked where he was. One aide just told worried Iranians: “We should all be praying”. Security experts believed Khamenei hid in a secret underground bunker to avoid assassination attempts by Israel, who had threatened to target him directly.
During his disappearance, Khamenei sent only one message, a shaky video released after the ceasefire. He claimed Iran “won” against Israel and called U.S. attacks on nuclear sites “unimportant”.
But his words didn’t match reality: Israel killed over 30 top Iranian commanders and scientists, while U.S. bombs wrecked key nuclear facilities.