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Will Mojtaba Khamenei attend?
A central question looming over the funeral is whether Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader and son of the slain ayatollah, will appear at the procession for his father, mother and wife, who were all killed in the same US-Israeli strike.Wounded in that attack, Mojtaba has remained in hiding since the war began in late February, communicating with his supporters only through written statements, never showing his face or using his voice. Iranian officials have worked to project an image of full recovery, claiming he is directing Tehran’s negotiations with Washington.
When asked this week whether he would attend, the funeral’s organizer deflected, saying the “matter is not within our domain and the decision lies entirely with the Leader’s office.”
People walk in a market under a banner depicting Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ahead of his farewell ceremony, in Tehran, July 2.
Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters
Motjaba’s appearance would be momentous, marking his first public emergence, and helping establish his legitimacy. Non-attendance is likely to fuel doubts at home and abroad about his well-being, as well as questions over who is running the country. This week, the leader failed to appear for a private farewell ceremony for his wife.
If he is absent from the funeral, the Islamic Republic is likely to spin this as a necessary security measure.
The Iranian military has warned against any “miscalculation” during the funeral processions and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Wednesday that Tehran would deliver an immediate and powerful response to any threat against its leadership after Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Mojtaba Khamenei was “marked for death.”
But despite the regime’s push to turn the funeral into a massive display of power and popular support, some Iranians remain indifferent.
“I haven’t even been able to get petrol for two days because the queues are insane,” one Tehran resident told CNN. “And let’s be real, most people aren’t going to the funeral, they’re going on holiday.”
“Half of them packed up and left yesterday,” she added.
