Iran US Tensions | Ayatollah Khamenei Breaks 37-Year-Old Ritual For 1st Time Amid US's Attack Threat

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei News | Amid increasing US military buildup in the Gulf, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has reportedly broken his 37-year-old tradition by missing the annual February 8 meeting with air force commanders. Khamenei has attended the annual meeting every year since assuming leadership in 1989-- even during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report by Iran International. The annual meeting marks the anniversary of February 8, 1979, when a group of air force officers pledged allegiance to Ruhollah Khomeini to overthrow the Pahlavi dynasty. Khomeini was the founder of the Islamic Republic and Khamenei's predecessor as Supreme Leader. Over the next four decades, the day became a symbolic event, with air force personnel and commanders meeting Iran's clerical leadership on the same date each year. The report said that this year, instead of Khamenei, the chief of staff of the armed forces, Abdolrahim Mousavi, met with the army air force commanders on Sunday. Yasharth Rai Brings The Latest.