Journalist Assaf Rosenzweig reports that the chair of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was empty at the Laylat al-Tasoo'a ceremony, a key Shia observance ahead of Ashura. His predecessor Ali Khamenei had attended the event annually. The absence comes amid recent reports of lost contact with the leader.
An empty chair at the Laylat al-Tasoo'a ceremony on Tuesday night has raised questions about the whereabouts of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Journalist Assaf Rosenzweig of N12 noted that his predecessor Ali Khamenei had attended the annual event without fail. The absence follows reports from earlier this month that international contact had been lost with the Supreme Leader amid a missile escalation with Israel, as The Zioneer reported on June 8. The empty chair is the second such image in recent weeks — on June 23, an Iranian image showed an empty chair for the late Ali Khamenei ahead of Ashura. Mojtaba Khamenei had not been seen in public for an extended period prior to this ceremony.
2 developments
- DevelopingIranian image depicts fading Khamenei legacy as Ashura mourning approaches
- DevelopingFirst report: Mojtaba Khamenei abducted from Tehran hospital after father's assassination
- DevelopingPakistan holds ceremonies honoring Khamenei and successor Mojtaba
- DevelopingReport claims Putin secretly called Mojtaba Khamenei days before ceasefire, call intercepted by US
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