The absence of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, from an important state event has triggered speculations about his health and safety.
According to reports, the Air Force Day celebrations in Iran were held on Sunday, where the commanders of Iran's Air Force and Air Defence met with Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
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Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s not holding the annual meet is unprecedented, with some reports saying it is for the first time in 37 years.
During the previous years, it was customary to mark the anniversary with a meeting with him, even during the Covid. This is a dramatic change in protocol, as the event has always been noted as one of Khamenei's most symbolic and important meetings with the security forces, and state media did not provide any explanation for the departure from the practice. So far, no official announcement has been made about a change in the leader's schedule or any other reason that prevented his participation.
The meeting was attended by senior commanders, officers and personnel from the Air Force and the Air Defense Directorate, as well as other senior figures in the Iranian military, including the army commander and the head of Khamenei's military bureau.
That said, Israeli media have speculated that Khamenei is hiding somewhere, fearing a US attack amid the protests. Some also fear that the Iranian regime is worried about external intelligence operators who may have penetrated deep into the corridors of power in Tehran.
Earlier, there were reports that Khamenei had moved into a fortified underground shelter in Tehran after senior military and security officials assessed a heightened risk of a potential US attack. According to Iran International, the protected facility to which Khamenei was transferred is "a fortified site with connected tunnels.
There are also information indicating that Massoud Khamenei, the third son of the Supreme Leader, has taken over the day-to-day management of the Leader's Office, and serves as the main channel of communication with the executive bodies of the government.
