Behind the marble walls of Imam Khomeini's Hosseinieh in Tehran, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei viewed displays at yet another exhibition brought to his office.
Khamenei toured a private sector exhibition at the Hosseinieh on Tuesday, continuing a pattern of viewing exhibitions at the venue adjacent to his residence rather than traveling to public locations.
The “Pioneers of Progress” exhibition was the latest in a series of displays brought directly to the Supreme Leader at the Hosseinieh.
Built in 1989, Hosseinieh Imam Khomeini was originally designed to host public meetings, official ceremonies, and state events with the Supreme Leader’s presence.
Over time, its role has expanded to include exclusive exhibitions for Khamenei and funeral prayers under his leadership.
For years, Khamenei has refrained from attending exhibitions other than the Tehran Book Fair - though even his visits to the book fair are not public.
A publisher present at the 2024 Tehran Book Fair told IranWire, “Khamenei only visits a few specific halls where publishers affiliated with the regime have booths.”
The publisher added, “These halls are entirely cleared during his visit, and no ordinary citizens are allowed inside. Booth owners must undergo thorough security checks before entering the halls and finding their spots.
“The arrangement of the halls and booths at the book fair is designed so that security personnel can easily separate the areas Khamenei visits from the rest of the exhibition.
“They also ensure that other attendees cannot get near where the Supreme Leader is present.”
Each year, several exclusive exhibitions are held for Khamenei at Hosseinieh Imam Khomeini.
In the past, other exhibitions, including military and defense shows as well as Iranian goods, have been organized at the same location. Last year, an industrial exhibition was also held in Hosseinieh Imam Khomeini.
The practice of hosting exclusive exhibitions for the Supreme Leader at the Hosseinieh has sparked mockery and criticism on social media.
One user on X wrote, “Their leader doesn't have the courage to go outside that they’ve moved the exhibition into the Hosseinieh.”
Another user said, “Because Mr. Khamenei is old and frail, they brought the industrial exhibition to the Hosseinieh (next to his residence) so he could visit.”
“The dictator is so scared for his safety that he can’t even leave his house anymore.”
Last year was tough for Iran’s Supreme Leader, as he lost many of his regional allies. Khamenei led the funeral prayers for some of them in Tehran.
This week, he prayed over the bodies of Mohammad Maghiseh and Ali Razini at the Hosseinieh. His unusual attire during the ceremony attracted public attention.
According to images from the event, it appears that the Supreme Leader was wearing something underneath his cloak.
Some social media users suggested that the unusual shape of his cloak might be because he was wearing a flak jacket.
Earlier, in April 2024, Khamenei also led the funeral prayers for Mohammadreza Zahedi, a commander of the Quds Force who was killed in Syria, at the same location.
Meanwhile, Khamenei also prayed over the body of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas, in a location other than Hosseinieh Imam Khomeini.
In August 2024, he led the prayer over Haniyeh’s body while Tehran’s airspace was under a no-fly zone for several hours.
Khamenei’s facial expressions and body language during the funeral of the Hamas political leader caught the attention of social media users, with some interpreting it as fear and anxiety over a potential attack.
At the time, Mahdieh Golroo, a political activist, wrote on her X account: “There is no feeling more enjoyable than seeing a dictator’s fear.”
Another user wrote that the Supreme Leader was afraid of suffering the same fate as Qassem Soleimani and was looking at the sky with fear during the prayer over Haniyeh’s body due to the potential presence of Israeli drones.
Since its construction, Hosseinieh Imam Khomeini has hosted many of the Islamic Republic’s official ceremonies, including the swearing-in ceremonies for presidents.
For years, it has also been the site of specific mourning rituals for Shia ceremonies, with Khamenei in attendance.
In the past year, according to information on the official website of the Supreme Leader, Khamenei held more than 25 meetings with various citizen groups, including teachers, students, workers, and intellectuals.
Additionally, Khamenei has met with state officials such as government ministers, members of parliament, and the Assembly of Experts at the same venue.
In 2024, Khamenei only left his residence, office, and Hosseinieh Imam Khomeini four times for public events.
In April, he made his annual pilgrimage to Mashhad for a speech, led the funeral prayers for Ebrahim Raisi and Ismail Haniyeh, and led a Friday prayer in Tehran.
After almost five years, in October 2024, following the death of Hassan Nasrallah and Iran’s missile strike against Israel, Khamenei led the Friday prayers in Tehran.
Khamenei’s website reported that while he was in attendance at Friday prayers, a memorial ceremony for Hassan Nasrallah, the former secretary-general of Hezbollah, and Abbas Nilforushan, the deputy commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was also held.
Both men were killed in an Israeli attack on Hezbollah’s headquarters in southern Beirut. The Friday prayer, dubbed “Victory Friday,” was widely publicized by pro-Islamic Republic media.
At that time, some government supporters, considering the possibility of targeting Tehran’s prayer site during Khamenei’s sermon, called the Supreme Leader a “brave” person, with his presence seen as symbolizing the significance of Iran’s rivalry with Israel.
Others mocked the idea of this event being a “victory.”
They say for a leader who rarely leaves his residence or office, just attending Friday prayers without showing fear or messy clothes is considered a big achievement.
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