In a calculated display of stability and defiance, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appeared in public on Saturday for the first time since the country was rocked by weeks of violent anti-government unrest. Visiting the tomb of Ruhollah Khomeini to mark the 47th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, Khamenei sought to dispel rumors that he had fled to a fortified underground bunker in anticipation of a U.S. military strike.
However, the optics of continuity were quickly overshadowed by bellicose rhetoric from Tehran’s military elite, who warned that the "finger is on the trigger" as an American carrier strike group enters the region. While President Masoud Pezeshkian attempted to blend domestic conciliation with accusations of foreign sabotage, the true scale of the recent internal bloodshed is only now coming to light, with some estimates suggesting the death toll from the January crackdown has reached staggering heights.
The Iranian military leadership has adopted an increasingly aggressive stance following the arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East. Army chief Amir Hatami issued a direct warning to both Washington and Jerusalem, stating that any "miscalculation" would endanger the security of the United States, the broader region, and the "Zionist regime." Hatami specifically pushed back against President Donald Trump’s assertions that Tehran would seek a deal to avoid military action. (Read More)
