Iran’s top military commander has resurfaced publicly after spending months out of sight, appearing Thursday at the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who commands Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, had not been seen in public since February 8, just weeks before the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure.

Photos released by the office of Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, showed Vahidi standing beside the casket of the late ayatollah during funeral ceremonies.

According to reports, Vahidi is believed to be part of a small circle of senior officials who remained in contact with Mojtaba Khamenei following the February 28 strike that killed his father in Tehran.

Speaking to Iranian state television after emerging from months of hiding, Vahidi struck a defiant tone.

“They must know that the pure blood of our martyred imam will mark another turning point in the victories of beloved Islam across the global arena,” he declared. “They will take to their graves the wish to see this nation surrender. This nation will rise higher day by day through this pure blood.”

Vahidi’s reappearance comes after months of speculation over the whereabouts of several senior Iranian military leaders following Israel’s unprecedented campaign targeting the regime’s top command structure. While a number of senior commanders were eliminated during the conflict, others reportedly went into hiding amid fears they could be next. The appearance suggests Tehran believes the immediate threat of further targeted strikes has eased.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)