For the Second Consecutive Day, Mojtaba Khamenei’s Absence Overshadows Khamenei’s Funeral as Three of His Brothers Attend
For the second consecutive day, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since assuming the position, was absent from the funeral ceremonies of his father, the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The funeral ceremonies for the late Iranian Supreme Leader continued on Sunday in the capital, Tehran, with large crowds participating in the funeral prayer.
The funeral prayer was led by Grand Ayatollah Jaafar Sobhani, aged 97, in the presence of several senior Iranian officials, including President Massoud Pezeshkian, Speaker of Parliament and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force, General Esmail Ghaani.
Three of the late Supreme Leader’s sons—Massoud, Mostafa, and Meysam—also attended the funeral prayer, as shown by Iranian state television.
In contrast, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was absent from the funeral ceremonies after being injured in the attack that resulted in his father’s death on 28 February. Since then, he has not made any public appearances, and his presence has been limited to written statements attributed to him.
Funeral Preparations
The prayer site and the surrounding streets were filled with mourners carrying Iranian flags and red flags. Many held portraits of the late Supreme Leader, while refreshments were distributed to attendees amid forecasts that temperatures would exceed 35 degrees Celsius.
The coffin is scheduled to remain on public display until Sunday evening before the funeral procession begins on Monday through the streets of the capital.
Iranian authorities declared Sunday and Monday official public holidays and expect between 15 and 20 million people to participate in the funeral ceremonies in Tehran.
After the procession concludes in the capital, the coffin will travel through several cities in Iran and Iraq before the burial ceremony takes place on Thursday in Mashhad, the birthplace of Ali Khamenei.
Official Attendance and Political Context
The funeral ceremonies were attended by several Iranian officials as well as foreign delegations, including delegations from the Lebanese Hezbollah and Hamas.
Ali Khamenei led Iran for more than three decades until his death at the age of 86.
His funeral had originally been scheduled for March but was postponed because of the war.
The funeral takes place during a period in which Iran is dealing with the aftermath of the U.S.-Israeli war, which ended with a ceasefire, as well as the nationwide protests that took place in the country at the beginning of 2026.
As part of preparations to accommodate participants arriving from across the country, the authorities erected more than 400 tents operated by the Iranian Red Crescent in one of the capital’s largest public parks.
Ali Khamenei’s coffin was placed on public display with his black turban resting on top of it. Beside it were the coffins of four members of his family who were killed alongside him in the attack that took place on 28 February.
