Three sons of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei made a rare public appearance in Tehran during the second day of funeral services at the Grand Mosalla complex. However, the absence of Mojtaba Khamenei—the brother widely anticipated to succeed his father—drew significant international attention.
Thousands of people gathered to mourn the former Supreme Leader, who ruled Iran for over 35 years, alongside four relatives. The group was killed on February 28 in Israeli airstrikes that were allegedly backed by American intelligence.
The multi-day funeral serves as a calculated display of resilience for the theocratic government, which has endured over a month of active conflict with Israel and the United States.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also heading negotiations with Washington, emphasized the government’s message of survival despite losing its highest authority. In a post on X, Ghalibaf commended the resilience of the citizens, stating that the:
”proud and invincible nation of Islamic Iran unanimously” paid tribute to its “martyr.”
The extensive funeral processions will continue across several locations. Following the Tehran services, the ceremonies are scheduled to move to the holy city of Qom on Tuesday and into neighboring Iraq on Wednesday. The final burial will take place on Thursday in Mashhad, Khamenei’s northeastern birthplace.
While three of Khamenei’s cleric sons—Mostafa, Masoud, and Meysam—attended Sunday’s events, Mojtaba Khamenei’s continued absence remained the central focus of public speculation.