Al-Jarida Reveals the Truth Behind the First Video of the Iranian Guide

An informed Iranian source told Al-Jarida the truth about a video clip recently published by Iranian media featuring Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the first of its kind since his appointment to the position.

The video clip, published by Iran’s Mehr News Agency, appears to show the Supreme Leader in a session teaching religious sciences, following months of absence by Khamenei that had sparked speculation about his health condition and whereabouts since the raid that killed his father, Ali Khamenei, and several family members.

The video, whose recording circumstances were not disclosed by Mehr News Agency, is no longer than 13 seconds. It shows Khamenei seated and surrounded by a number of his students, with no timestamp in the recording to confirm its recency, according to CGTN.

The source told Al-Jarida that the video clip was filmed before the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28 last year.

The clip represents the first video material published by an official or semi-official Iranian media outlet featuring Khamenei since his appointment as Supreme Leader in March last year, succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei. Since then, his appearances have been limited to written statements read out on state television, without any direct public appearance or documented audio recordings.