Khamenei breaks 37-year tradition, skips key air force meeting amid US tensions
State outlets report commanders’ meet without supreme leader present
Dubai: In a rare break from nearly four decades of tradition, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei did not attend the annual February 8 meeting with air force commanders this year — a ceremony he has personally led since becoming Supreme Leader in 1989, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The absence comes amid heightened tensions with the United States and an ongoing military buildup in the Gulf, drawing attention because the event has historically served as a symbolic display of loyalty between Iran’s clerical leadership and its military.
According to Iranian media reports, the meeting with air force and air defence commanders was instead presided over by the Chief of the General Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi.
Iranian outlet SNN News Agency said a delegation of senior officers — including Major General Mousavi, Major General Amir Hatami, Air Defence Commander Alireza Elhami, and other top air force and air defence officials — gathered to mark the anniversary of Air Force Day.
In its coverage, SNN reported: “Commanders, officers and staff of the Air Force and Air Defence of the Islamic Republic Army, on the occasion of 19 Bahman (February 8), met with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces,” a notable departure from previous years when Khamenei himself presided.
Another Iranian report highlighted comments from Major General Hatami, who emphasised readiness and deterrence, saying: “We are prepared to respond decisively to any hostile act.”
Iranian political leaders also acknowledged the day in official settings. Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf publicly congratulated Air Force Day, praising the sacrifice and service of air force personnel.
Context behind the absence
Observers note that while Iranian state media reported the event and the presence of senior commanders, they did not highlight Khamenei’s absence — a contrast to past years when he personally led the February 8 gathering, a tradition rooted in the historic 1979 allegiance of air force officers during the Islamic Revolution.
Foreign and independent outlets have described the absence as a break from precedent spanning 37 years, noting its timing amid ongoing diplomatic strains and increased US military deployments in the region.
Why this matters
The absence comes at a sensitive moment. Tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high, with negotiations continuing amid sharp disagreements over Iran’s missile programme and nuclear policy.
Recent US deployments of aircraft carriers and fighter jets to the region have further fuelled concerns about potential escalation.
US President Donald Trump has previously called for Iran’s leadership to step aside during periods of mass protests — rhetoric Tehran has dismissed as interference — but there has been no indication that such statements are linked to the Supreme Leader’s absence from this year’s ceremony.
By showing that senior commanders met without the Supreme Leader present, and by emphasising messages of unity, readiness and deterrence, Iranian state coverage appears aimed at projecting continuity in leadership despite Khamenei’s absence.
