Investing.com — Three sons of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared at public funeral ceremonies on Sunday, while his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, remained absent from the proceedings amid continued uncertainty over his condition, Reuters reported.
State television showed Mostafa, Meysam, and Masoud Khamenei praying beside the coffins of their father and four other family members at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla.
The coffins included those of Khamenei’s daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and 14-month-old granddaughter, who were also killed during the strikes that triggered the recent conflict.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as Iran’s supreme leader following the February attack, did not appear publicly during the ceremony. Reuters previously reported that he suffered serious injuries during the strike, including facial wounds and significant leg injuries.
Senior Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, joined thousands of mourners for funeral prayers.
State media showed large crowds gathering overnight, with Tehran’s metro system reporting around seven million passenger trips as people traveled to the capital for the ceremonies.
The weeklong funeral will continue with a large procession through central Tehran before Khamenei’s remains are taken to the religious city of Qom. Ceremonies are then scheduled in the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala before the body returns to Iran for burial in Mashhad later this week.
The funeral comes as a ceasefire between Iran, Israel, and the United States continues to hold after four months of fighting. U.S. President Donald Trump said peace negotiations with Tehran had been paused during the funeral period and are expected to resume once the ceremonies conclude.
Iranian authorities are planning to mobilize millions of people for the remaining funeral processions, providing transportation, food, and accommodation as the country stages one of the largest state ceremonies in its history.