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News Topical, Digital Desk : Amid ongoing tensions with the United States, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, broke a 37-year-old tradition he had followed since assuming leadership in 1989.
In fact, he had been attending the annual meeting with Air Force commanders for the past 37 years , even during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, he did not attend the meeting on February 8th.
Why is this meeting important?
The annual meeting marks the anniversary of February 8, 1979 , when a group of Air Force officers swore allegiance to Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder and Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, to overthrow the Pahlavi dynasty.
Who replaced Khamenei?
Over the next four decades, the day became a symbolic event, with Air Force personnel and commanders meeting with Iran's religious leaders on the same date every year. This year, instead of Khamenei, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Abdolrahim Mousavi, met with the military's Air Force commanders on Sunday, the report said.
America increased military power
Khamenei's absence comes at a time of heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington. The US has increased its military presence in the region and the Islamic Republic faces the threat of a potential US military attack. Khamenei's absence is being seen as an attempt to deflect potential threats or a preoccupation with national security matters.
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