Cliff Notes

Iran’s supreme leader made a public appearance amidst rising tensions with Israel and the US, receiving a warm reception from supporters who chanted a Shia victory chant.
The re-emergence of the leader, presumed to have been in hiding due to death threats, signals a renewed sense of defiance among Iranians, particularly during the significant Shia observance of Ashura.
While projecting unity and strength against external threats, Iranian officials are also open to exploring diplomatic avenues with the US following recent conflicts.

Defiance in Tehran as Khamenei makes appearance

They rose to their feet in ecstatic surprise, shouting “heydar, heydar” – a Shia victory chant.

This was the first public appearance of their supreme leader since Israel began attacking their country.

He emerged during evening prayers in his private compound. He said nothing but looked stern and resolute as he waved to the crowd.

He has spent the last weeks sequestered in a bunker, it is assumed, for his safety following numerous death threats from Israel and the US.

His re-emergence suggests a return to normality and a sense of defiance that we have witnessed here on the streets of Tehran too.

Earlier, we had filmed as men in black marched through the streets of the capital to the sound of mournful chants and the slow beat of drums, whipping their backs with metal flails.