Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attended a religious event on Saturday, according to a video carried by state television, after reports that he was in a "secure location" since the start of a 12-day air war with Israel in which top Iranian commanders and nuclear scientists were killed.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first public appearance since the Iran-Israel war, leading Ashura prayers in Tehran. The 86-year-old Supreme Leader’s attendance at the Imam Khomeini Hosseiniyeh ceremony silenced rumors about his health and whereabouts.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has appeared in public for the first time since the conflict with Israel began, ending weeks of speculation over his absence during rising regional tensions.