Ali Khamenei's funeral: three of his sons appear, but the absence of the new supreme leader raises questions

Three of the sons of Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, participated in funeral prayers held in Tehran on Sunday, while Mojtaba Khamenei, designated as his successor as head of the Islamic Republic, did not appear in public. State television broadcast images showing Mostafa, Meysam, and Massoud Khamenei praying beside the coffins of their father and four other family members.

The ceremonies took place at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque, where tens of thousands of people, including politicians, military personnel, seminarians, and numerous worshippers, came to pay their final respects to the Iranian leader. The coffins of Ali Khamenei, his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and 14-month-old granddaughter were on public display. Authorities announced that the funeral ceremonies would continue until Thursday, notably in the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad, as well as in Najaf and Karbala, Iraq.

Ali Khamenei and several members of his family were killed in an airstrike on February 28, at the start of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran. This conflict, which lasted several months before the establishment of a ceasefire described as fragile, has left more than 3,000 dead, destroyed significant infrastructure, and caused heavy losses among Iranian political and military leaders.

Mojtaba Khamenei's absence from the ceremony raised many questions. According to sources close to him cited by Reuters, he was injured in the attack that killed his father and suffered significant leg injuries as well as facial damage. No recent images of the new Supreme Leader have been released since the attack.

Among those present, some participants expressed disappointment at the absence of Ali Khamenei's successor. The ceremonies were also marked by demonstrations of support for the regime, with flags promising revenge against the United States and Israel, while Iranian leaders, including President Massoud Pezeshkian and Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, participated in the prayers.

On the diplomatic front, the ceasefire reached last month paved the way for an interim agreement between Tehran and Washington, notably including the release of billions of dollars in Iranian assets frozen abroad and a relaxation of financial sanctions. The US president Donald Trump However, it was indicated that the discussions had been suspended for a week due to Ali Khamenei's funeral.