As is known, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died on February 28 following a joint US-Israel attack on Iran. The Iranian government has been conducting his funeral proceedings over the past several days. As part of this process, Khamenei’s body was first moved to the Iranian capital, Tehran. From there, without any prior announcement, his remains were taken directly, on February 28, to the very location where he was killed in the strikes. Iran’s official media revealed that his body had been secretly transported to the sacred site where he attained martyrdom.
Extensive arrangements have been made for a final farewell to be held on Friday at the Grand Mosalla complex of Imam Khomeini in Tehran. Following this, the official funeral procession is set to begin on the 6th of this month. After his body is displayed for public viewing in various locations across the country, burial rites are expected to be completed on the 9th of this month in his hometown of Mashhad.
Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei, will not be attending his father’s funeral proceedings. Iran’s representative in India, Ayatollah Hakim Ilahi, clarified that Mojtaba’s absence is due to security threats. Iran and Israel currently remain in a state of heightened military tension, and it is understood that US and Israeli intelligence agencies have Mojtaba, Iran’s Supreme Leader, in their sights. Given this, it was considered unsafe for him to step out publicly. There are concerns that if Iran’s top leadership were to gather at a single venue, hostile nations could carry out drone or aerial attacks. It is understood that Mojtaba Khamenei made this decision keeping security considerations in mind.