Khamenei skips key military meet for first time in 37 years

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Tehran: In an unprecedented move, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei did not attend a key annual military gathering on February 8, ending a continuous 37-year streak of appearances at the event, according to local media reports. The absence has sparked speculation about shifting priorities in Tehran as diplomatic and military tensions with the United States escalate.

The meeting, traditionally presided over by the Supreme Leader, brings together senior officers of Iran’s air force and other branches of the armed forces. This year, however, General Abdolrahim Mousavi, head of the Iranian armed forces, chaired the session in Khamenei’s stead a striking deviation from the norm.

The skip is not merely ceremonial but reflects the severe strain in U.S.-Iran relations in recent months. Episodes including U.S. military forces shooting down an Iranian drone near a U.S. aircraft carrier and heightened naval confrontations have underscored the depth of the standoff. Washington has publicly pursued both pressure and diplomacy, including plans for “fair and equitable” negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme, while also reinforcing military deployments in the region.

The absence of Khamenei at the military event coincides with these broader pressures. His decision may serve multiple functions: signalling preoccupation with national security calculations, reducing exposure to potential threats, and projecting message discipline within the upper echelons of Iran’s command. Despite the steep diplomatic temperature, Tehran has maintained that it seeks stability and opposes conflict, even as it warns that any attack on its soil would have grave regional consequences.

Iran’s government has not publicly explained Khamenei’s nonattendance. However, it comes amid ongoing efforts by Iranian and U.S. envoys to resume talks.