Iran’s new supreme leader reportedly wanted to attend his late father’s funeral ceremonies, but his own security establishment stepped in the way to prevent it.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the son and successor of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has not appeared in public since the February 28 U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed his father, wife, and son. And now, as Iran holds a week of funeral ceremonies, Mojtaba is still absent. According to reports, Mojtaba asked to attend his father’s July 9 burial in Mashhad and perform the burial rites himself, but Iranian security officials rejected the request over fears that Israel could assassinate him in public or use his appearance to track him back to his hiding place.
F-16 from Israel. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Mojtaba Wanted to Pray Over His Father
Funeral ceremonies for Ali Khamenei began on July 4, months after he was killed. Under Islamic tradition, funerals are typically held as soon as possible, but continued hostilities between the U.S., Israel, Iran, and Hezbollah meant Tehran was forced to wait for a ceasefire to ensure the event could be held safely. The former supreme leader’s body was displayed at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, where large crowds gathered for the first stage of what is set to be a week-long funeral.
The burial itself is expected to take place on July 9 in Mashhad, Ali Khamenei’s birthplace and one of the most important pilgrimage cities in Shiite Islam. That is the ceremony that Mojtaba reportedly wanted to attend.
F-15I Fighter Israeli Air Force. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Citing two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and one person involved in the planning of the funeral, The New York Times claimed that Mojtaba asked to emerge from hiding so he could pray over his father’s body. His request was denied because Iranian security officials reportedly believe that Mojtaba’s appearance would present an opportunity to Israeli forces, who possess the technology required to track the Iranian leader.
Iran Fears Israel Would Kill Him
The fear that Israel could target the Iranian Supreme Leader is not unfounded. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz hit the headlines in recent days when he threatened the life of the Iranian leader, describing him as “marked for death.”
Iran responded to the comments in defiance, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi warning that Tehran would respond to any threat against its people or leadership.
Iran’s United Nations ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, also sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres objecting to the remarks.
According to sources who spoke to The New York Times, Israeli intelligence is believed to possess the technology and capabilities to identify Mojtaba in a large crowd and initiate a strike during the funeral itself. However, Iranian officials also believe that even if Israel did not attack immediately, surveillance of his movements could reveal the secure location where he has been hiding since February.
F-35I Adir Fighter from Israel. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
That second fear is arguably more important. Mojtaba has not appeared in any video or photograph, nor has he given a public speech since he became the supreme leader. His communications have only been issued via written statements so far, and if he were to travel to Mashhad and pray at the burial, he could easily be tracked as he returns to his secure compound.
Not only would Israel know his location, but they might also discover other nearby secure locations.
Trump Says the U.S. Will Not Strike
While Israel remains Iran’s biggest worry during the funeral ceremonies, the United States has promised not to launch any further strikes while they are taking place.
Speaking to Axios on July 4, President Donald Trump said that the United States was aware that senior Iranian officials would be gathering for the funeral, but that there would be no attacks because Washington still needs interlocutors available for ongoing negotiations.
“They are all there. One shot [and we can take them all out], but we are not going to do that because then we would have nobody to negotiate with,” Trump said.
Per Axios, President Trump claims that Tehran is “begging to make a deal” with the United States, but that both sides have agreed to take a week off from negotiations until funeral ceremonies come to an end on July 9.
The president also said that he was surprised to see photographs and video footage of Iranians crying as the funeral ceremonies began on July 4, saying that he believed most Iranians hated the late supreme leader. “Maybe it’s fake tears,” he said.
15 Million Expected
On July 4, CNN reported that around 15 million people are expected to take part in the funeral ceremonies, citing the Iranian Health Ministry.
“Our estimate is that over the next two to three days, around 15 million people will participate in the farewell and funeral ceremonies,” the ministry confirmed.
About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
