Monday, July 6, 2026

Tehran - Agencies:

The absence of Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei continued on the second day of funeral ceremonies for his late father, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. In the capital Tehran, yesterday Sunday, funeral prayers were held for the body of Ali Khamenei, with large crowds and Iranian officials in attendance.

In the front row near the coffin appeared a number of senior Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Speaker of Parliament and chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General Ismail Qaani.

Three of the late leader's sons participated in the prayers: Masoud, Mostafa, and Meisam, according to scenes broadcast on state television. It is not yet known whether current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei will attend any of the ceremonies held over 6 days.

Mojtaba has not appeared since the US-Israeli airstrike that killed his father on February 28 of last year, on the first day of the war on Iran. Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in the attack, and since then only written statements attributed to him have been issued.

A large crowd gathered to participate in the prayers at the Grand Tehran Prayer Grounds, and the surrounding streets were filled with crowds. Ali Khamenei's body is scheduled to remain laid out until Sunday evening, before being prepared for the funeral procession set for Monday in the streets of the capital.

The authorities declared Sunday and Monday public holidays, and expected between 15 and 20 million people to attend in Tehran alone.

After Monday's procession in Tehran, the coffin is scheduled to stop in several cities in Iran and Iraq, with burial ceremonies set for Thursday in the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran, the birthplace of Ali Khamenei.