Ali Khamenei Defies Unrest as Bayt Network Secures Iran Leadership

Ali Khamenei appeared in public following a new wave of protests to condemn demonstrators as vandals while the Bayt network continues managing 65% of the national economy.The International Crisis Group warns that the 86-year-old leader maintains power through an iron fist and the loyalty of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps despite a 12-day war with Israel.Expert Saeid Golkar notes that dismantling the clerical leadership requires targeting the entire elite structure rather than only the leader whose succession remains uncertain after the death of Ebrahim Raisi.This public appearance follows months of speculation regarding the health of the Supreme Leader who has ruled the nation since the death of Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.