SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first public appearance after more than two weeks at a religious ceremony on Saturday.
Iran’s Supreme Ali Khamenei received a group of visitors during the holy Shiite Arabeen observance on Saturday, his first public appearance for more than two weeks, and urged them to act with patience and perseverance.
Iranian state TV showed Khamenei, 83, wearing a mask and standing as he spoke in a steady voice to his audience sitting on the floor about the importance of Arbaeen.
Arbaeen is a mainly Shiite Muslim ceremony that marks the end of a 40-day mourning period for the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad, Imam Hussein.
Khamenei had not appeared in public since he met followers in Tehran on Sept. 3, sparking rumors on social media that he was ill.
The Rumors spread late Friday that Khamenei was in critical health conditions.
But two sources close to Khamenei denied on Friday that his health had deteriorated, responding to questions about his health, according to Reuters.
The New York Times said on Friday, quoting four people familiar with Khamenei’s health situation, that the supreme leader had canceled all meetings and public appearances last week after falling gravely ill, and said he was currently on bed rest and under observation by doctors.
Khamenei told his listeners that believers should rely on the Holy Koran, the Muslim holy book, which calls for patience when facing hard times.
“Patience means perseverance, it means resisting, not getting tired, not feeling yourself at a dead end,” Khamenei said, holding a microphone.
“Take the right way and take others along to the right path.”
(Esta Media Network/Reuters)
