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Khamenei’s 9/11 Boast Resurfaces After His Iran War Retreat

A 2005 video clip of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is making rounds on social media, drawing sharp contrast to his recent conduct during the Israeli assault on Iran. In the footage, Khamenei mocks U.S. President George W. Bush and other officials for going into hiding after the September 11 attacks, vowing that Iran’s leadership would never do the same. “We will stand at the frontlines in uniform, ready to give our lives,” he declared. However, during Operation Rising Lion earlier this month, Iranian sources confirmed that Khamenei retreated to a secure underground location at the onset of the Israeli assault and remained out of sight until several days after a ceasefire was reached. The viral clip has sparked ridicule, with commentators accusing Khamenei of hypocrisy and cowardice. “Words are free,” one post reads. “Leadership is another matter.”