A figure in a black mask stood front and center at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral in Iran, sparking widespread speculation online that his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, had finally made a rare public appearance. That theory turned out to be wrong, according to a report from the New York Post.
The masked man, spotted wearing a baseball cap alongside the covering and helping lead prayers in the front row, was identified by Iran International as Mohammad Javad Khamenei, the eldest grandson of the slain supreme leader, not Mojtaba himself.
The confusion makes some sense given what Javad Khamenei has been through. He suffered severe injuries, including significant burns to his face, during the same February 28 airstrikes carried out by the US and Israel that killed his grandfather, Ali Khamenei, at age 86. Those same strikes also left Mojtaba Khamenei disfigured, according to US intelligence assessments cited in the report.
As for his place in the family tree, Javad Khamenei is the son of Mostafa Khamenei, Ali Khamenei’s eldest son, who was born around 1965, Iran International reported.
A Massive Send-Off
Ali Khamenei’s burial took place Thursday, capping off a six-day mourning period that state media claims drew participation from as many as 43 million people across the country.
Mojtaba’s Vow From the Shadows
While Mojtaba Khamenei has largely stayed out of public view since taking over as supreme leader, he did break his silence in writing. On Saturday, he posted a message on Telegram promising to avenge his father’s death. US President Donald Trump has said that “1000 Missiles are Locked and Loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow, should the Iranian Government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, ME!”
“Orders have already been given, and the U.S. Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran – PRAISE BE TO ALLAH!,” he added.