Masses at the start of the days-long funeral ceremonies for Iran's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, July 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
It is not clear if Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei will make an appearance at any point during the dayslong funeral of his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, The New York Times reports.
Iranian sources claim to the newspaper that Mojtaba Khamenei told officials that he wants to attend, but that so far the request has been nixed due to concerns that Israel could try to assassinate him, or track him to wherever he has been hiding out.
The officials say that the Iranian leader wants to attend his father’s burial on July 9.
The newspaper notes that he did not attend the Wednesday memorial for his wife, who was killed alongside their teenage son and other relatives in US-Israeli strikes on the first day of the war.
The report says that his absence is leading to increased questions as to whether Khamenei, who was seriously injured in the strikes, has been running Iran.
Iranian army soldiers stand in front of a picture of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei during a pro-regime rally in Tehran, Iran, on April 29, 2026. (AFP)
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