As millions of mourners gathered to bid farewell to Iran’s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, one person was noticeably absent, his son and successor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
While three of Khamenei’s sons attended the funeral prayers in Tehran on Sunday, Mojtaba, who took over as Iran’s supreme leader after his father’s death, did not appear in public, raising fresh questions about his whereabouts and condition.
Three Sons Attend Funeral In Tehran
State television showed three of Ali Khamenei’s sons, Mostafa, Meysam and Masoud Khamenei, standing behind their father’s coffin during funeral prayers at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, a vast religious complex in the Iranian capital.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander-in-Chief Ahmad Vahidi also joined the prayers.
Video from the ceremony showed Masoud Khamenei visibly emotional, wiping away tears with a keffiyeh, the chequered scarf associated in Iran with revolutionary ideals and solidarity with Palestinians.
🇮🇷 Three Sons of Late Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei Appear at Funeral Ceremony
Three sons of the late Iranian leader Ali Khamenei—Mostafa, Masoud, and Meysam—were seen attending the funeral ceremony.
It was their first public appearance since February. Mojtaba Khamenei, who became… pic.twitter.com/n8FHCJKWkF— The Caspian Post (@thecaspianpost) July 5, 2026
Ali Khamenei’s coffin, draped in the Iranian flag and topped with black turban, was placed alongside the coffins of four relatives who were also killed in the February strikes. Among them was an infant granddaughter.
Authorities expect more than 10 million people to participate in the mourning ceremonies being held across Iran.
Mojtaba Khamenei Remains Out Of Public View
The absence of Mojtaba Khamenei was striking given that he succeeded his father as Iran’s supreme leader in March.
He has not been seen publicly or heard speaking since his appointment. Iranian officials have repeatedly declined to say whether he would attend any part of the funeral ceremonies.
“The issue of the supreme leader attending is not within my authority and information,” Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian, head of the funeral planning committee, had said at a news conference last week. He added that any information about Mojtaba’s appearance would come from his office.
Mojtaba also did not attend a memorial service held last week for his wife, Zahra Hadad-Adel, who was killed in the same attack that killed Ali Khamenei. Their teenage son and several other family members also died in the strikes.
Mojtaba Khamenei is believed to have been injured when Israel and the United States bombed the Khamenei family compound on February 28.
People close to his inner circle told Reuters that he suffered significant injuries, including damage to one or both legs, and facial disfigurement.
There has been no public image or confirmed sighting of Mojtaba since the attack.
Mohammad Hossein Khoshvaght, whose sister is married to Ali Khamenei’s son Mostafa, told Iranian outlet Ansaf News in June that security experts had advised the new supreme leader “not to reveal himself in any way, even to the extent of releasing his voice.”
According to two members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps familiar with the funeral planning, concerns about potential Israeli attempts to assassinate Mojtaba or track his location led his security team to advise against attending public ceremonies, according to a report by The New York Times.
Many supporters who travelled to Tehran had hoped the funeral would provide their first glimpse of the new supreme leader.
“His safety should definitely be the priority,” Ehsan Hosseini, a supporter planning to attend the ceremony, said. “Whatever decision his office makes about his attendance will be the right one.”
A Week Of Mourning
Iran has organised a week-long series of funeral ceremonies for Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran from 1989 until he was killed at the age of 86 in an airstrike on February 28.
After lying in state indoors for senior Iranian officials and foreign dignitaries, Khamenei’s coffin was displayed outdoors on Saturday under glass alongside the coffins of his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and 14-month-old granddaughter.
The mourning ceremonies are being held across five cities in two countries. Iranian authorities also plan to take Khamenei’s remains to Shiite religious sites in neighbouring Iraq.
On Monday, the coffins are scheduled to be driven through the streets of Tehran before being transported to other cities. Streets have been closed, airspace restrictions imposed and public life disrupted as part of the mourning period.
The ceremonies will conclude on July 9, when Ali Khamenei is buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace.
Could Mojtaba Still Appear?
Despite his absence so far, there remains a possibility that Mojtaba Khamenei could take part in the final stages of the funeral.
According to the two IRGC officials, the 56-year-old supreme leader had expressed a desire to attend at least some parts of the ceremonies. They said he hoped to be present at the burial in Mashhad and personally recite prayers for his father, The New York Times report said.
(With inputs from agencies)
