Many people noticed the gesture but few knew the reason behind it.

In June 1981, a powerful bomb hidden inside a tape recorder exploded during a speech at a mosque in Tehran. The device had been placed near him while he was addressing supporters during the chaotic early years of the Iranian Revolution.

The explosion severely injured Khamenei and permanently paralysed his right arm. He survived the assassination attempt, but the damage to his arm was irreversible. From that moment on, he often kept his right hand hidden beneath his cloak.

The attack failed to silence him.

Instead, it marked a dramatic turning point in his life and political career. Just a few years later, he rose rapidly within Iran’s leadership. In 1989, after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Khamenei was chosen as Iran’s Supreme Leader — the most powerful political and religious position in the country.

Since then, he has ruled Iran for more than three decades, overseeing wars, sanctions, regional conflicts, and major shifts in Middle Eastern geopolitics.

His concealed hand became more than just a physical detail.

For many supporters, it symbolised survival and resilience after an assassination attempt during one of the most turbulent periods in Iran’s modern history. For critics, it is a reminder of the violent struggles that shaped the Islamic Republic’s leadership.

Either way, the hidden hand tells a story — not just about one man, but about a turning point that helped shape the political path of modern Iran.