Former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was buried on Thursday in his hometown of Mashhad following a week of funeral processions, mourning ceremonies and rallies held across Iran and neighboring Iraq. The final funeral prayer for the slain leader was held at the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza and was led by Ayatollah Seyyed Mostafa Hosseini Khamenei, the eldest son of Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei’s burial came after his remains were transported from Mashhad International Airport through the city’s crowded streets toward the Shrine of Imam Reza. Black-clad mourners carrying Iranian flags, photographs of the late leader, and red revolutionary placards lined the route.
The burial followed mass funeral ceremonies in Tehran, Qom, and Iraq’s holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. Iraq’s Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, said more than 2.3 million people participated in the funeral procession in Najaf alone.
Iranian media, including Tasnim News Agency and Press TV, reported that millions attended the funeral procession in Tehran, with officials describing it as the largest public gathering in the country’s modern history.
The funeral ceremonies took place as Iran and the United States continued exchanging attacks despite a previously announced pause during the mourning period.
Why Did Mojtaba Khamenei Not Attend The Funeral Service?
Mojtaba Khamenei did not make a public appearance during the funeral service in Mashhad and remained absent throughout the week of mourning for both his father and his wife.
According to Iranian officials, Mojtaba has not been seen publicly since the Israeli airstrike on February 28 that wounded him and killed his father, Ali Khamenei, his wife Zahra Haddad-Adel, and other family members.
Officials attributed his absence to the continued threat of assassination. However, his nonappearance drew attention because several other members of the Khamenei family—including his brothers Mostafa, Meysam and Masoud—attended the public mourning ceremonies, along with senior Iranian political leaders and foreign dignitaries.
The continued absence of Mojtaba Khamenei has fueled speculation about the extent of the injuries he reportedly sustained in the attack that killed his father.