Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei to Give 1st Friday Sermon in 5 Years Amid Missile Attack on Israel

Tehran: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is scheduled to lead Friday prayers and deliver a public sermon, potentially shedding light on the Islamic Republic's plans following the massive missile attack on Israel.

This rare appearance by Khamenei his first Friday sermon in nearly five years comes just three days before the anniversary of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, which was triggered by the Iran-backed Palestinian group's attack on October 7.

Khamenei, Iran's highest authority, will lead prayers at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla mosque in central Tehran, as confirmed by his official website.

The prayer will follow a 'commemoration ceremony' at 10:30 AM for Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of the Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah movement, who was recently killed.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards, who answer to Khamenei, claimed that Tuesday's missile strikes, around 200 missiles were retaliation for Israel’s killing of Nasrallah, along with Guards commander Abbas Nilforoushan in a late-September strike in Beirut, and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July.

On Thursday in Tehran, crowds waving Hezbollah and Iranian flags gathered outside the former US embassy to condemn Israeli "crimes" in Gaza and Lebanon, according to Iranian media.

Khamenei had declared a national period of mourning in Iran to honor Hezbollah’s Nasrallah.