Iran’s dayslong funeral for Ali Khamenei has opened with the crowds, chants, and state symbolism Tehran wanted. But one absence is now becoming its own political signal: Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader, is still out of sight.
The Jerusalem Post, citing Reuters reporting, said mourners filled Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla on Saturday as Khamenei’s weeklong funeral ceremonies began. His coffin was displayed with those of slain family members, and state media carried chants of “Death to America” and calls for revenge.
But the same report noted that Mojtaba Khamenei “has not been seen in any new image” since being wounded in the strike that killed his father. i24NEWS also reported that Mojtaba was absent from the first day of ceremonies even as senior Iranian officials and foreign delegations appeared in Tehran.
The Funeral Is Supposed To Project Control
The absence matters because the funeral is not just a memorial. It is a state-managed show of continuity after months of war, U.S.-Iran negotiations, and questions about who is actually steering the Islamic Republic.
The Guardian reported that Iran designed the six-day ceremony as a display of mourning, national power, resilience, and social cohesion, with processions planned through Tehran, Qom, Najaf, Karbala, and Mashhad. Iranian officials expect millions of people to take part.
That makes Mojtaba Khamenei’s invisibility harder to separate from the broader crisis. Tehran is asking the public, allies, and adversaries to see a functioning transition. Yet the man at the center of that transition has not appeared in public during the most symbolic event Iran has staged since the war began.
Security Fears Are Now Part Of The Story
The Times of Israel, citing The New York Times, reported that it remains unclear whether Mojtaba Khamenei will appear at any point during the funeral. Iranian sources told the newspaper that he wants to attend, but that the request has so far been blocked because of fears that Israel could try to assassinate him or track him to his hiding place.
The report also said he did not attend a Wednesday memorial for his wife, who was killed alongside other relatives in the February strike. List25 could not independently verify Mojtaba Khamenei’s condition or whereabouts.
For now, the visible picture is this: Iran is filling the streets for Ali Khamenei, foreign allies are appearing at the ceremonies, and the government is warning the U.S. and Israel against any attack during funeral week. But the new supreme leader remains unseen.
That does not prove a leadership breakdown. It does, however, turn the funeral from a pure show of strength into a fresh test of whether Iran can project command while its most important figure stays hidden.