The Islamic Republic reportedly barred Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei from attending the funeral of his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, four months after the latter's assassination, over fears of an Israeli assassination attempt. The regime is conducting a large-scale funeral procession, but Khamenei's whereabouts remain unclear, according to i24NEWS.
Iranian authorities have prevented Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei from attending the funeral of his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, over fears of an Israeli assassination attempt, according to a report by i24NEWS published Saturday. The report, citing unnamed sources, states that the Islamic Republic launched a large-scale funeral procession four months after Ali Khamenei's assassination, but it remains unclear whether Mojtaba Khamenei is present at the event. A separate report by Bloomberg noted that at least eight ships performed U-turns in the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, a separate indicator of heightened regional tensions.
The desk has been tracking this story since Saturday 12:32 Jerusalem, when an initial report from Israeli media-monitoring channels indicated that Khamenei had expressed a desire to attend but security officials objected (The Zioneer report v.1). Within the same minute, a second version stated his absence was expected due to fears of Israeli assassination or tracking (v.2). By v.3, The New York Times reported that Khamenei had specifically requested to recite the prayer over his father's body, but security officials rejected the idea over assassination fears. Versions v.4 and v.5, both published at Saturday 12:32 Jerusalem, confirmed that security officials refused the request due to fears of Israeli tracking, and that Khamenei will not attend the funeral. Across the thread, the story progressed from a single unconfirmed report (ynet) to coverage by The New York Times, i24NEWS, and Bloomberg, with consistent details from unnamed security sources but no official Iranian confirmation.
As The Zioneer reported earlier on Saturday, the Islamic Republic has been conducting a large-scale funeral procession for Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated four months ago. The regime's acute security concerns about potential Israeli operations targeting senior leadership have shaped the decision to keep the current Supreme Leader's whereabouts secret.
The location of Mojtaba Khamenei remains undisclosed. The reports rely entirely on unnamed security sources and have not been confirmed by any official Iranian channels. It is not known whether Khamenei will participate in any future funeral-related events.
5 developments
- StrongIran's supreme leader likely to skip father's funeral, citing security fears
- DevelopingIranian channel reports Mojtaba Khamenei did not attend wife's funeral and burial
- StrongIranian economic activist claims Mojtaba Khamenei will attend father's funeral
- DevelopingFirst report: Mojtaba Khamenei abducted from Tehran hospital after father's assassination
Source and signal
- Internal intake