37th Anniversary Ceremony of the Founder of the Islamic Republic Held Without Official Dignitaries

The ceremony marking the 37th anniversary of the death of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, was held in Tehran on Wednesday under unprecedented circumstances, as none of the senior political or military officials of the Islamic Republic attended the event for the first time in decades.

The ceremony, which took place amid a highly secure atmosphere, also lacked a speech by Hassan Khomeini, contrary to the routine of previous years. The grandson of the founder of the Islamic Republic, who had been considered one of the main speakers at this event in recent years, did not participate in the official speaking program this year.

The event’s organizing committee had previously announced that the most significant part of this year’s program would be the reading of a message from Mojtaba Khamenei. According to reports, the text of this message was read aloud at the ceremony, and its dissemination is ongoing.

The ceremony was held without the presence of senior ruling figures at a time when Iran remains under extensive security measures following the recent war, and many official meetings and gatherings are being held under strict limitations.

Over the past three decades, the anniversary ceremony of Ruhollah Khomeini’s death has consistently been one of the most important official occasions of the Islamic Republic, typically held at his shrine with the attendance of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, the heads of the three branches of government, senior military commanders, and thousands of regime supporters.