Top Iranian officials attended the second day of funeral proceedings for slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Sunday.
Members of Khamenei’s family were also present, including his three sons. But his son Motzaba Khamenei, who succeeded him as Iran’s top leader, was nowhere to be seen as speculation grew about his whereabouts.
Motzaba has not been seen in public since he was reportedly injured in the same February 28 airstrike that killed his father and several others. His face was reportedly disfigured and one or both of his legs were badly injured.
Khamenei’s son, IRGC leader makes rare public appearance
Khamenei’s sons Maysom, Mostafa and Massoud were present on Sunday, seen wiping tears with a keffiyeh – a symbol of solidarity with Palestinians. The three had not been seen in public since the outbreak of the war.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) leader General Ahmed Vahidi, himself photographed for the first time since the war on Thursday, was seen in plainclothes amid a crowd of mourners behind a security cordon.
Ismail Qani, who leads the Revolutionary Guard’s expeditionary force Quds Force, was also present.
President Massoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf prayed behind Khamenei’s coffin, flanked by the coffins of his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and 14-month-old granddaughter who were killed in the attack.
Later
Sunday’s ceremony was moderated by poet Mohammad Rasouli, who sang “Death to America!” Led the slogan of. and “Death to Israel!”
In his speech, he criticized US President Donald Trump and said that “the world is no longer a good place for an American leader”.
Meanwhile, thousands of mourners carrying flags flocked to the Grand Moselle in Tehran as temperatures reached 35 °C (95 °F). Haze machines were deployed on a large scale, while refreshments were also served to the attendees.
peace talks stalled
Authorities anticipate a massive funeral procession in central Tehran on Monday, after which Khamenei’s remains will be taken to the seminary city of Qom.
From there the body will be flown to Iraq, where ceremonies will continue on Wednesday in the Shia holy shrines of Najaf and Karbala. Khamenei will then return to Iran where he will be buried in the Shia Imam tombs in Mashhad.
The week-long funeral has halted talks with the US aimed at reaching a permanent end to the war. Trump separately told US news website Axios that he would not attack Iran during the funeral to maintain talks.
Meanwhile, the huge turnout at the funeral could help Iran strengthen its position in future negotiations.
A mourner in Tehran told The Associated Press, “Our foreign policy should not be shaped in a way that insults the blood of our martyred leader and other countries can afford to do such things without any serious reaction from our government and diplomatic system.”
Edited by: Jennifer Cimino Gonzalez