With a rifle at his aspect, the Supreme Chief of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made uncommon public look on Friday, delivering his first Friday prayer sermon in almost 5 years. His speech got here within the wake of Iran’s newest missile assault on Israel, which he described as “reputable punishment” for “Israeli crimes.”
In his speech, Khamenei emphasised that Iran’s resistance in opposition to Israel is not going to falter, even within the face of focused assassinations of its leaders. “If essential, Iran will assault ‘Occupied Palestine’ once more,” he declared, signaling a continued hardline stance within the area.
The speech was vital as Khamenei has not stated Friday prayers since 2020 and there have been experiences that he was saved in a secure location for concern of an Israeli operation in opposition to him. Particularly, Khamenei has confronted many assassination makes an attempt all through his political profession, notably through the turbulent years following the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Under is a quick historical past of probably the most notable makes an attempt on his life.
March 15, 1985: Suicide bombing throughout Friday prayers in Tehran
A suicide bomber attacked the prayer congregation whereas Khamenei was delivering the sermon. Regardless of the explosion, Khamenei was not injured and, in a big present of defiance, continued along with his speech. The assault was linked to opposition teams throughout a tumultuous interval in Iranian politics.
This explicit assault was vital as a result of it occurred through the Iran-Iraq conflict, a time when Iran was beneath immense inner and exterior stress. A number of teams, together with Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK), have been recognized for organizing such violent makes an attempt to destabilize the regime.
June 27, 1981: Hafte Tir bombing in Tehran
Probably the most vital assassination try in opposition to Khamenei occurred in 1981, when a bomb exploded on the headquarters of the Islamic Republic Occasion throughout a gathering of senior officers. The assault was orchestrated by Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK), an anti-regime group.
Whereas Khamenei was not killed, he was critically injured. The explosion left him along with his proper arm completely paralyzed. Many high-ranking leaders have been killed, together with Ayatollah Mohammad Beheshti, chief justice of Iran and one of many key figures of the revolution.
This assault was a part of a broader marketing campaign by opposition teams to destabilize the newly shaped Islamic Republic. Khamenei’s survival, regardless of his severe accidents, helped solidify his political place and allowed him to attain larger prominence inside the regime.
February 2022: Drone assassination try in Tehran
In response to some experiences, there was an alleged drone assassination try in opposition to Khamenei in early 2022. Details about this occasion is scarce and never extensively confirmed by Iranian authorities. Nonetheless, it sparked debates about rising exterior threats to the Iranian management amid rising tensions within the area.
Whether or not true or not, these experiences indicated that the Supreme Chief stays a high-profile goal for a number of home and international adversaries.
A number of unconfirmed makes an attempt
There have been a number of different experiences of assassination makes an attempt on Khamenei, notably through the post-revolutionary years, when anti-regime teams such because the MEK and different dissidents actively attacked authorities leaders. Nonetheless, many of those makes an attempt have been thwarted and particulars stay scarce because the Iranian authorities controls a lot of the narrative about threats to its leaders.
Broader context
Inner opposition: Within the early years of the Islamic Republic, opposition teams corresponding to Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK), Kurdish separatists and different anti-regime factions actively attacked outstanding figures corresponding to Khamenei.
Worldwide tensions: When Khamenei turned Iran’s supreme chief in 1989, assassination makes an attempt and threats in opposition to him continued, and rising geopolitical tensions made him a goal not solely of inner factions but additionally of exterior actors hostile to the insurance policies from Iran.
Safety measures
Since these makes an attempt, safety round Khamenei has been considerably tightened. As Supreme Chief, he’s now some of the protected individuals in Iran, with a number of ranges of safety, together with elite army forces just like the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), tasked along with his safety.