TEHRAN: Three sons of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attended funeral prayers in Tehran on Sunday, standing beside his coffin and those of four family members, while his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, remained absent from public view.
Iranian state television showed Mostafa, Meysam and Masoud Khamenei offering prayers behind the coffins at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, where thousands of mourners gathered to pay their final respects.
The funeral marked the beginning of a week-long series of commemorative events, with Iranian authorities planning large public processions across the country before the late leader’s remains are taken to Shia holy sites in Iraq.
Ayatollah Khamenei’s coffin, along with those of his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and 14-month-old granddaughter, was placed on public display under glass on Saturday after senior Iranian officials and foreign dignitaries attended a private lying-in-state ceremony.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as Iran’s supreme leader following his death, did not appear at the funeral prayers. He has remained out of public view since the February 28 Israeli and US airstrikes that killed Ayatollah Khamenei and several members of his family.
Among those attending the funeral prayers were Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and other senior government officials.
State media showed Masoud Khamenei becoming emotional during the ceremony as mourners continued to gather at the Grand Mosalla throughout the night.
Iran’s metro authorities said millions of passenger journeys were recorded between late Saturday and Sunday morning as people travelled to central Tehran to participate in the funeral.
According to the official schedule, a major funeral procession will take place in Tehran on Monday before the remains are moved to the holy city of Qom.
The body will then be taken to the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala before returning to Iran for a final procession in Mashhad, where Ayatollah Khamenei will be buried near the shrine of Imam Reza.
Iranian authorities said millions of people are expected to participate in the funeral events, with extensive arrangements made for transport, accommodation and other facilities for mourners.
