Iranian officials gathered on Sunday for funeral prayers honoring the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Notably absent from the proceedings was his son and designated successor, Mojtaba Khamenei. The elder Khamenei, 86, perished during a February 28 airstrike at the onset of the conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran.
President Masoud Pezeshkian and Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi were among the dignitaries present at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla complex. While Mojtaba remains unseen in public since his March appointment—reportedly due to injuries sustained in the same attack that claimed his father—his brothers Masoud, Mostafa, and Meysam were in attendance. The service was conducted by 97-year-old cleric Ja’far Sobhani.
Tehran observed a public holiday as mourners flooded the streets, with officials anticipating a turnout exceeding 10 million people. Despite the intense heat, medical centers reported thousands of visits, though no fatalities were linked to the massive crowds. High-ranking figures such as parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Quds Force leader Esmail Qaani joined the assembly.
The casket, adorned with an Iranian flag and the leader’s turban, lay beside four relatives killed in the February strikes. Although a temporary ceasefire currently pauses the regional hostilities, many attendees expressed a fervent desire for retribution rather than diplomatic resolution. The funeral serves as a significant indicator of domestic stability following widespread unrest in January. Processions will continue through Tehran on Monday, followed by stops in Qom and Iraq, before the final burial in Mashhad on Thursday.
