TEHRAN: Three sons of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led funeral prayers beside his coffin and those of four other family members on Sunday, while his successor and son, Mojtaba Khamenei, remained absent from the public ceremony despite widespread expectations of his appearance.
State television broadcast images of Mostafa, Meysam and Masoud Khamenei offering prayers behind the coffins at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, where tens of thousands of mourners gathered to pay their final respects. The coffins of Khamenei, his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and 14-month-old granddaughter were placed together during the ceremony.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several members of his family were killed in Israeli and United States airstrikes on February 28, which marked the beginning of the conflict between Iran and the two allies. The war lasted for several months before ending under a fragile ceasefire agreement.
Iran has organized a week-long series of funeral ceremonies for the late supreme leader, reflecting both public mourning and official efforts to demonstrate national unity. Following the ceremonies in Tehran, Khamenei’s remains will be taken to major Shiite religious sites in Iran and Iraq before his final burial.
Thousands of mourners, including members of the armed forces, religious scholars, government officials and ordinary citizens, attended Sunday’s prayers. Many carried Iranian flags and banners condemning the United States and Israel, while others joined collective prayers inside the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla.
Despite public anticipation, Mojtaba Khamenei did not attend the ceremony, and no official images of him have been released since the attack. According to Reuters, people close to his inner circle said he suffered serious injuries during the airstrike, including facial injuries and significant wounds to one or both legs.
Several mourners expressed disappointment over his absence. One woman told Iranian media that she had hoped the country’s new supreme leader would appear during the funeral ceremonies.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei attended the funeral prayers alongside senior civilian and military officials. During the ceremony, Masoud Khamenei was seen in tears as funeral prayers were led by a senior cleric.
Authorities said millions of people are expected to participate in funeral processions over the coming days. After Monday’s main procession in Tehran, the remains will be taken to the holy city of Qom, followed by ceremonies in Iraq’s Shiite shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala before returning to Iran for burial in Mashhad.
The ceasefire that ended the conflict remains in place under an interim agreement brokered with Washington. Iranian authorities describe the agreement as a strategic success that could ease economic pressure through the release of frozen overseas assets and partial sanctions relief. During the conflict, more than 3,000 people were reportedly killed, including senior Iranian military commanders and political leaders, while extensive damage was inflicted on military installations and critical infrastructure.
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