Ali Khamenei funeral: Mojtaba Khamenei missing but three brothers pay final respects in Tehran
Thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran on Sunday for the second day of funeral ceremonies for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as three of
Thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran on Sunday for the second day of funeral ceremonies for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as three of his sons made a rare public appearance while his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, remained out of public view. The ceremonies, held at Tehran's Grand Mosalla religious complex, are among the largest public events in Iran since Khamenei and four members of his family were killed in Israeli airstrikes on February 28, reportedly based on US intelligence. Three sons attend, Mojtaba absent Ali Khamenei's eldest son, Mostafa, and his younger sons Masoud and Meysam, all clerics, attended the funeral prayers on Sunday. However, there was still no sign of Mojtaba Khamenei, who was named Iran's new Supreme Leader shortly after his father's death but is yet to appear publicly.
Iranian officials have said Mojtaba was wounded in the Israeli strikes, though the extent of his injuries remains unclear. He has so far communicated only through written statements. His absence is expected to remain a focus as funeral ceremonies continue through the week, culminating in Khamenei's burial in Mashhad on Thursday. Funeral procession to continue The funeral procession will continue in Tehran on Monday before moving to the religious city of Qom on Tuesday and Iraq on Wednesday. Khamenei will be laid to rest in his hometown of Mashhad in northeastern Iran on Thursday. Senior cleric Grand Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, 97, led the funeral prayers before Khamenei's body was moved from the Grand Mosalla complex. Iran projects resilience Beyond mourning Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic for more than three decades, the funeral ceremonies have become a display of resilience by Iranian authorities following five weeks of war with Israel and the United States.
Parliament Speaker and chief US negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on X that the "proud and invincible nation of Islamic Iran unanimously" paid tribute to its "martyr." Authorities expect more than 10 million people to participate in the funeral events in Tehran. Sunday was declared a public holiday to facilitate attendance, while extensive security measures and medical facilities were deployed amid concerns over crowd safety. Senior military leaders reappear Ahmad Vahidi, the newly appointed commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, attended the funeral for a second consecutive day after remaining out of public view during the recent conflict. Esmail Qaani, commander of the Revolutionary Guards' Quds Force, also made a rare public appearance, telling Iranian state television that Khamenei's "blessed end" was fitting after a lifetime of “striving.” Calls for revenge dominate ceremony The funeral has also become a platform for public calls to avenge Khamenei's death despite a ceasefire currently holding between Iran and the United States.
The BriefWire