Four months after the former leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, was killed in U.S. strikes, his official funeral ceremony was held on Friday (3th July) in Tehran. However, the absence of Mojtaba Khamenei, the current leader of Iran, has drawn significant attention from media outlets and social media users.
The Iranian government has planned a week-long series of ceremonies for Ali Khamenei’s funeral and burial. His body is scheduled to be transported from Tehran to Qom, Najaf, and Karbala, and is expected to be finally laid to rest next Thursday in the city of Mashhad, beside the shrine of Imam Reza.
According to images and videos released by Iranian state media, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and newly appointed IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi attended the ceremony. However, Mojtaba Khamenei was not seen at the event. His absence has sparked widespread reactions across media and social networks, although Iranian officials have not yet issued any official comment on the matter.
Previously, Iran’s representative in India, Hakim Elahi, stated that Mojtaba Khamenei would not attend his father’s funeral due to security concerns.
Earlier reports had also suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei was injured during U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran last year. CNN, citing U.S. intelligence sources, reported that he was undergoing treatment for burns on various parts of his body.
U.S. President Donald Trump had also previously stated that it was still unclear whether Mojtaba Khamenei was alive. Since then, he has not appeared in public, and no recent images or videos of him have been released.
The farewell ceremony for Ali Khamenei and other members of his family who were previously killed was held on Friday morning at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque, with the participation of several foreign figures. Among the attendees were Ahmad Massoud, leader of the anti-Taliban opposition; Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the Islamic Unity Party; as well as Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Taliban, and Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s Foreign Minister.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
