Khamenei breaks week-long silence: Congratulates Iran on 'victory over Israel and the US'

(Patria) - Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, broke nearly a week of silence on platform X amid speculation about his health and security. In his first post, Khamenei congratulated the Iranian people on what he described as a "victory over the false Zionist regime," claiming that Israel was on the verge of collapse under Iranian strikes.

– I feel the need to extend several congratulations to the great nation of Iran. First, congratulations on the victory over the false Zionist regime. Despite all the propaganda and claims, the Zionist regime was nearly destroyed under the blows of the Islamic Republic – Khamenei wrote.

In a second post, he congratulated Iran on what he claims was a "victory over the American regime."

– The American regime entered a direct war because it believed that, if it did not do so, the Zionist regime would be completely destroyed. But it gained nothing from that war. Here too, the Islamic Republic emerged victorious and dealt a strong slap to America – Khamenei stated.

His public address comes after days of silence during which the Iranian public and media speculated about his health condition and whereabouts. Amid the conflict with Israel, it was reported that the Ayatollah had been moved to a secret location due to fears of a possible Israeli assassination, even during a ceasefire.

When asked about his absence, his close associate Mehdi Fazeli stated that the security of the Supreme Leader is a priority, emphasizing that "those responsible are doing their job well," and announced that the people would "soon celebrate victory together with their leader."