The body of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is buried in the city of Mashhad, the country's holiest religious site in the northeast, on Thursday, while his son and successor Mojtaba has not appeared since suffering disfigurements from the February attack that killed his father.

The burial comes a week after massive funeral processions, popular gatherings and mourning scenes, coinciding with renewed confrontation with the United States after weeks of ceasefire.

On Thursday morning, Mashhad's streets were packed with mourners, as attendees waved Iranian flags and pictures of Khamenei.

Iran faces major internal challenges, while Khamenei's legacy of 37 years in power remains deeply divisive and contested within the country.

The whereabouts of Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed Supreme Leader by a council of clerics a week after his father's death, remain a mystery to Iranians.

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Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since the outbreak of the war, after the attack that killed his father on February 28, and despite written statements issued in his name, no photos, video or audio recordings of him have been released.

Mojtaba was seriously injured in the same attack, resulting in facial disfigurements and severe limb injuries, according to multiple sources who said he is recovering from his wounds but has not regained enough strength to appear in public.

Security forces are also trying to limit his exposure, fearing further American attacks.

Funeral ceremonies for Khamenei and four family members killed with him have already been held in Tehran and the city of Qom, the center of Shiite religious authority in Iran, and in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala.

The funeral comes at a crucial moment for Iran, as it closes the curtain on Khamenei's nearly four-decade rule, and months after the latest wave of nationwide protests against the clerical ruling system.

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The absence of Mojtaba: a question echoing at his father's funeral.