New Delhi: More than four months after he died in joint US-Israeli air strikes, Iran’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is scheduled to be buried near the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad on July 9.
State-organised rites will begin in Tehran on July 4 and move to Qom, several holy sites in Iraq, and finally to Mashhad for the burial, officials said. Khamenei, 86, who had been one of the region’s longest-serving leaders, was killed on Feb. 28 in coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel that marked the start of the war between Tehran and those two countries.
However, attention ahead of the funeral has focused less on the farewell itself than on whether Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son and appointed successor, will appear publicly for the first time since assuming the role of supreme leader, as reported by News 18.
Mojtaba, 56, was wounded in the same Feb. 28 attack that killed his father and other members of his family. Iranian state outlets and officials have reported that he sustained serious injuries, including major facial disfigurement and wounds to his legs. He has not been seen on television, in recorded messages, or at public events since then.
All statements attributed to him have been read aloud by state-TV presenters or circulated through official channels. In those messages, Mojtaba has pledged to carry on existing policies, warned the United States and Israel against further strikes, and urged unity amid the conflict.
His most recent communiqué, released on Sunday to coincide with National Judiciary Week, called on the judiciary to investigate and prosecute those responsible for crimes committed during the latest rounds of fighting. He also mentioned his father’s killing and urged legal action against those accountable.
Officials insist Mojtaba is mentally sound and involved in top-level choices, but his ongoing absence from public life has only sharpened speculation both inside Iran and abroad. Supporters say keeping him out of sight is a security measure; detractors believe his injuries make public appearances impossible.
The funeral could mark a defining moment for his authority.
Survey results show the war has altered views at home and abroad. Pew Research Centre’s study “What Happens When War Breaks Out in the Middle of a Survey?” found that, as hostilities unfolded, favourability toward the United States fell in several countries and confidence in Washington’s role as a partner for peace declined.
Inside Iran, the leadership handover occurred amid fighting, grief and uncertainty. The Assembly of Experts appointed Mojtaba as supreme leader, yet his lack of visibility raises doubts about the regime’s unity and its capacity to present firm, cohesive leadership.
If Mojtaba appears publicly, it would likely silence doubts about his health, consolidate backing among hardliners, and send a clear message of continuity and defiance to rivals. If he stays hidden, rumours will probably grow and perceptions of weakness or excessive caution at the top could deepen.
For now, Iranians and international observers must read carefully worded official statements. With funeral events set to draw millions in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad, whether Mojtaba appears could offer the clearest signal yet about the direction of Iran’s leadership during this unsettled period.
