Late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s youngest son absent despite brothers attending, as millions gather in Tehran_
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was noticeably absent from his father’s funeral on Sunday, even as thousands of senior regime officials and millions of mourners filled Tehran to pay their last respects to the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic from 1989 until his death in February 2026, was buried in a six-day state ceremony Iran has called the “funeral of the century.
Three of Ali Khamenei’s other sons — Masoud, Mostafa and Meysam — all attended the service. They joined top officials including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Chief Justice Gholam-hossein Mohseni Ejei, and Revolutionary Guards chief Ahmad Vahidi.
But Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed to a senior role in early March, did not show. His absence has fuelled fresh speculation about his condition. Rumours spread after US-Israel strikes killed his father that Mojtaba was also injured, and he has not appeared in public since.
Israel has also issued threats to target him, adding to concerns over his security.
Iranian authorities said between 12 and 20 million people were expected to take part in the ceremonies, with more than 10 million alone in Tehran. Sunday was declared a public holiday.
The late Supreme Leader’s body is lying in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla religious complex. The funeral prayer was led by 97-year-old senior Shia cleric Jafar Sobhani from Qom.
Crowds gathered through the night, with officials warning of possible stampedes due to the size of the turnout. Temperatures were high, and water was sprayed over mourners to keep them cool. Many held banners reading “kill Trump,” “kill Bibi,” referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and “we go revenge.”
At one poetry recitation before prayers, poet Mohammad Rasouli said “Trump murder na our responsibility,” with chants of “death to America” and “death to Israel” heard in the crowd, according to AP and _The Guardian_
The funeral is being staged over six days. After lying in Tehran for three days alongside four relatives killed in the same strikes — including his one-year-old granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani — the body will be moved on Monday for a procession through the capital.
On Tuesday it goes to Qom for prayers at the Jamkaran shrine, one of Iran’s holiest sites. On Wednesday it travels to Najaf in Iraq for ceremonies at the shrine of Imam Ali, then to Karbala before returning to Iran.
Burial is set for Thursday at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, Iran’s most important Shia pilgrimage site. Commemorative events will continue for 40 days and into the first anniversary of his burial
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had paused peace talks for a week because of the funeral events. He was quoted by Axios saying Washington could have targeted all Iranian officials at once, but “we no go do like dat becos then, we no go get anybody to negotiate wit.”
Trump also said he was surprised Iranians were mourning, adding “Maybe na fake tears.”Mourner Zahra Safaei, 50, rejected that claim to Reuters: “We no do revolution 47 years ago to shed fake tears. We no sacrifice all these martyrs to cry fake tears.”
Ali Khamenei led Iran for 37 years with a policy of confrontation with the West. He backed armed groups across the Middle East including Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen
His death leaves a major succession question for Iran’s clerical establishment, with Mojtaba’s absence now a central point of speculation.
For now, Iran’s focus is on the funeral procession. But the missing son, the massive crowds, and the regional tensions around the event show how much is at stake as the Islamic Republic enters its post-Khamenei era