Is He Dead, Is He Alive? Iran Silent as New Ayatollah Misses Former Supreme Leader's Funeral
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Mojtaba Khamenei stayed away from his father's funeral, fuelling questions as Iran gave no explanation for the new Supreme Leader's absence.
By Pranjal Gupta
New Delhi, July 5: Top political leaders, military officials, religious peers and thousands of Iranians stood behind the three sons of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during his funeral in Tehran on Sunday. However, the absence of the fourth son, Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, raised questions.
Mojtaba disappeared from public view after the US and Israel launched a coordinated attack on February 28. While the strikes killed the then Supreme Leader, Mojtaba reportedly suffered severe injuries. Since then, he has remained out of public sight and has communicated only through state officials.
Why Has Mojtaba Khamenei Not Appeared?
Iran has not explained why Mojtaba Khamenei remains out of public view.
His absence has attracted attention because Sunday's funeral prayers marked the first major public gathering of Iran's leadership since the recent conflict ended.
Although he has not appeared in person, Iranian state media has released his photographs. It has also broadcast written messages from him through news channels linked to the government.
Israel openly threatened to target Iran's leadership during the conflict, including Mojtaba Khamenei after he became the country's new Supreme Leader.
Brothers Attend Funeral
The contrast became more noticeable because Mojtaba's three brothers attended the funeral.
President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stood behind the coffins during the prayers. Masoud Khamenei appeared emotional and was seen crying. He wiped away his tears with a keffiyeh, the traditional chequered scarf that has become a symbol of revolutionary ideals in Iran and support for Palestinians, according to news agencies.
Huge Crowds Gather Across Iran
The funeral has become one of Iran's biggest state ceremonies in recent years.
Authorities have planned funeral processions in several cities before taking Ali Khamenei's remains to important Shi'ite holy sites in Iraq. The body will later return to Iran for burial in the north-eastern city of Mashhad.
Officials said the ceremonies would continue throughout the week. They have arranged transport and other facilities for the large number of mourners expected to attend.
A much larger crowd gathered on Sunday than on the previous day. Iran's metro network said people made around seven million journeys from late Saturday to Sunday morning as mourners travelled to central Tehran, as per a report by The Times of India.
Funeral Schedule
Authorities have announced a week-long programme of funeral events. A large procession will take place in central Tehran on Monday. On Tuesday, the remains will be taken to the religious city of Qom, the centre of Iran's Shi'ite clerical establishment, added the report.
On Wednesday, the body will be flown to Iraq for ceremonies in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. It will return to Iran on Thursday for another procession in Mashhad, where Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be buried near the tomb of one of Shi'ite Islam's medieval Imams.
