Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei attended an Ashura night mourning ceremony on Saturday at the Husseiniyeh of Imam Khomeini in Tehran. The gathering marked the eve of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, a central event in the Shiite calendar, and drew participants from across Iranian society. Cleric Hojjatoleslam Masoud Ali used the ceremony to emphasize themes of resistance and perseverance, linking the lessons of Ashura to Iran’s response to what he called the “false front” led by global Zionism in the wake of a recent 12-day Israeli assault. He portrayed the Islamic Republic as the axis of a broader movement against oppression. While Khamenei did not deliver a formal speech, he briefly conferred with prominent eulogist Mahmoud Karimi, who relayed the Supreme Leader’s message to recite a patriotic verse beginning, “You will remain in my soul and heart, O homeland.” The ceremony proceeded with traditional lamentations and was broadcast by state media.