The burial of Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is taking place Thursday (July 9) in Mashhad, in the country’s northeast. Tehran’s state media said only family members would attend the burial. Following that announcement, speculation has intensified over whether Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will make his first public appearance.
CNN’s live coverage said this could be Mojtaba’s first public appearance since assuming the role of supreme leader following his father’s death. However, it remains uncertain whether he will ultimately attend the burial.
Mojtaba has not been seen publicly at any stage of the week-long mourning and funeral processions for Khamenei. No specific names have been released regarding who will attend the burial.
Over the past week, the Khamenei family has been represented by his three other sons — Mostafa, Masoud and Meysam Khamenei.
Meanwhile, fresh tensions have flared between Washington and Tehran. The United States and Iran have exchanged strikes for two consecutive days, heightening security concerns across Iran.
Israel said last week that Iran’s new supreme leader is a “target” for assassination. In a strike coordinated with the United States on February 28, Israeli forces killed Ali Khamenei along with dozens of the country’s top leaders and military commanders. Mojtaba narrowly survived that attack.
Since then, despite assuming the role of the country’s supreme leader, Mojtaba has remained in hiding. He has not appeared publicly or spoken in his own voice since the war began, sending only written messages to supporters.
His continued absence from public view has fueled widespread speculation.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report