Khamenei confronts new era after war with Israel

Shafaq News – Tehran

As Iran reels from the devastating war with Israel, attention has turned to the whereabouts and status of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who reportedly spent nearly two weeks in seclusion amid fears of assassination.

According to the BBC, his prolonged absence from public view has raised questions about the extent of Iran’s leadership vacuum during the conflict and the impact of his isolation on post-war recovery efforts.

Khamenei, 86, might want to use the opportunity of the ceasefire to venture out. He is believed to be holed up, incommunicado, for the fear of being assassinated by Israel. Even top government officials apparently have had no contact with him.

Though President Trump reportedly told Israel not to kill Iran's supreme leader, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not rule it out.

When — or if — he emerges from hiding, he will be confronted by a nation scarred by war and widespread devastation. While he will likely reappear on state television declaring victory, his efforts to reclaim authority will unfold in a drastically altered landscape — one defined by new political realities and the onset of a potentially transformative era.

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