Iran: Mojtaba Khamenei will not attend his father’s funeral

TEHRAN (Terror Monitor) — National mourning ceremonies continue in Tehran for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and others killed.

Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S. and Israeli attack during the early phase of the war against Iran in an airstrike.

Since early Saturday morning, large numbers of people have been arriving at the Grand Mosalla Mosque in Tehran, where the coffins of Ayatollah Khamenei and those killed alongside him have been placed for public viewing. The ceremony is also being broadcast live on state television.

The mourning ceremonies in Tehran will continue for three days. Afterward, Khamenei’s body will be taken to Qom and then to Iraq, and later he will be laid to rest in his hometown Mashhad.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed in an airstrike in Tehran on 28 February. After his death, several weeks of intense fighting continued between Iran, Israel, and the United States, in which Iran-backed groups, including Hezbollah, also took part. A ceasefire was later reached between Iranian and American representatives in early April.

As Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei held Iran’s highest political and religious authority with final decision-making power.

Observers are also focusing on whether Mojtaba Khamenei will attend the ceremonies. He was appointed Iran’s new Supreme Leader after his father’s death. Mojtaba Khamenei was severely injured in the same attack in which his father was killed, and since his appointment he has not appeared in public, raising questions about his health and whereabouts.

Iranian media say Mojtaba Khamenei will not attend his father’s funeral, while some reports suggest the reason is security concerns.

According to reports, funeral prayers for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family members are being led in different cities by Marja-e-Taqlid (senior Shiite clerics followed in religious matters).

Jafar Sobhani Tabrizi is leading the prayers in Tehran, Naser Makarem Shirazi in Qom, and Hossein Nouri Hamedani in Mashhad.

Local sources say funeral coordinator Ali Akbar stated that the decision regarding Mojtaba Khamenei’s participation rests with the family, and any official announcement will be made through his office.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and senior military officials attended the funeral prayers.

Delegations from several countries also paid tribute to the former Supreme Leader, with representatives from dozens of countries expected to attend.

It should be noted that on 28 February, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, along with others, was killed in joint U.S. and Israeli attacks, after which Iran appointed his son Mojtaba Khamenei as the new Supreme Leader.

Since the beginning of the war, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public, nor have any audio or video recordings of him been released.