India, July 6 -- Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Saturday, made his first public appearance since the onset of the war with Israel, emerging from what many believe was a tightly secured bunker. Iran's leader was out to attend a mourning religious ceremony on the eve of Ashoura in Tehran.

Khamenei was seen greeting people and being cheered at a mosque as worshippers marked the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, an important date for Shia Muslims.

The 86-year-old leader had remained out of public view during the height of the conflict. His appearance, broadcast by state television, showed him waving and nodding to a crowd of mourners as he entered a mosque adjacent to his residence and office in the capital. ...