Other photos showed him sitting in a chair on the right side of the room, holding prayer beads and looking at the imam delivering the sermon.
In a 12-minute video, the Ayatollah was seen listening and interacting during the event, where Shiite worshipers gather to mark the end of a 40-day mourning period commemorating the seventh-century death of Imam Hussein, the prophet’s grandson Muhammad. . A video on state media showed Khamenei addressing the crowd at the event.
The New York Times reported Friday that Khamenei canceled all public appearances last week after becoming “severely” ill and being monitored by a team of doctors.
Citing four unnamed people with knowledge of his health, the Times reported that Khamenei is on bed rest after undergoing surgery last week for a bowel obstruction.
Photos published in several Iranian media outlets show that the 83-year-old Ayatollah was physically able to make a public appearance at the event.
Ayatollah Khamenei has been Iran’s leader for the past three decades and is one of the longest-serving rulers in the Middle East. It remains unclear who may succeed the leader, but it is expected that in the event of his death, the Assembly of Experts will be convened to discuss his successor.
