On Khamenei’s Birthday… “Suspicious Objects,” Noise, and Narratives
On this day in 1939, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was born, but his birthday this year seems exceptional to the extreme.
Friday saw explosions rock central Iran, which U.S. officials deemed an Israeli strike in response to an unprecedented Iranian attack with drones and missiles on Israel last weekend.
Iranian media reported that Iranian air defenses intercepted suspicious objects in the skies of Isfahan, near the military base northwest of the city.
While the truth of what occurred remains murky so far, with no official announcements from either side, it is certain that Khamenei‘s birthday will not be, as usual, the most prominent event on the local scene.
Khamenei was born on April 19, 1939, meaning he is 85 years old today. He was born in the city of Mashhad, the center of Khorasan Razavi province, considered one of the greatest historical cities of Khorasan and the second-largest city in Iran after Tehran.
He was elected Supreme Leader of Iran after Khomeini‘s death on June 3, 1989, a position he still holds today.
According to the Iranian agency “Tasnim,” the nuclear facilities in Isfahan are “completely safe,” before the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that there was “no damage” to the Iranian nuclear facilities.
Iran activated its air defenses over several cities, while the “IRNA” agency reported that there were no “major damages” based on information provided by its correspondents.
Meanwhile, the Israeli army told AFP on Friday, when asked about reports of explosions in Iran and strikes in Syria, “We have no comment at this time.”
