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New Delhi : The absence of Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, from the funeral ceremonies of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has become the most closely watched aspect of the state funeral in Tehran, fueling fresh speculation about his health and whereabouts.
Thousands of mourners gathered in the Iranian capital as senior political leaders, military officials and members of the Khamenei family paid their final respects to the late leader. State television broadcast images of Ali Khamenei’s sons — Mostafa Khamenei, Meysam Khamenei and Masoud Khamenei — standing beside the coffins during funeral prayers at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla.
Masoud was seen wiping away tears with a keffiyeh as prayers were led for the late Supreme Leader and four members of his family.The ceremony featured the coffins of Ali Khamenei, his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and 14-month-old granddaughter, all placed together for the final prayers before the funeral procession continued.
However, the absence of Mojtaba Khamenei, who assumed the role of Supreme Leader following his father’s death, immediately drew public attention. He has not been seen in public since the attack that killed Ali Khamenei, and Iranian authorities have not offered any explanation for his absence from one of the country’s most significant state events.
Reports published earlier by Reuters, citing unnamed sources familiar with his inner circle, claimed Mojtaba sustained facial injuries and serious wounds to one or both legs during the attack. Those reports remain unconfirmed, and Iranian officials have neither verified nor commented on his reported condition. No official photographs or live footage of the new Supreme Leader have been released since his appointment.
The funeral ceremonies are expected to continue over several days, with processions planned in Qom before moving to the Shi’ite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq. The final burial is scheduled to take place in Mashhad near the shrine of one of Shi’ite Islam’s most revered Imams.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and other senior officials attended the Tehran ceremony as Iran entered a period of national mourning. While millions are expected to participate in the funeral processions across Iran, the unexplained absence of the country’s new Supreme Leader has emerged as one of the most talked-about developments surrounding the historic farewell.
