The New York Times reports that Iran's security officials denied Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei's request to attend his father's funeral, citing fears that Israel would use the public appearance to assassinate him or track him to his hiding place.
The New York Times reported Saturday evening that Iran's security officials blocked Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei from attending the funeral of his father, the late Ali Khamenei, over fears that Israel would assassinate him or track him to his hiding place. The report, attributed to Iranian security officials, confirms and expands on earlier reports that have tracked the security concerns throughout the day.
The Zioneer first reported at 12:32 Jerusalem that Khamenei had expressed a desire to attend the funeral but security officials objected, based on a single source. By 13:20, The Zioneer published an article detailing the security concerns. At 16:49, The Zioneer cited i24NEWS reporting that the Islamic Republic had barred Khamenei from the funeral. The New York Times account now adds explicit attribution of the reasoning to Iranian security officials and cites the specific fear of tracking.
The funeral has been the focus of significant security and diplomatic maneuvering. As The Zioneer reported on July 2, Iran's representative to India said Khamenei wished to lead the funeral prayers but security officials warned it would be too dangerous. Earlier, on June 24, an Iranian economic activist claimed Khamenei would attend, but that was not corroborated. Khamenei's continued absence from public view, including his absence from his wife's funeral on July 2, has fueled speculation about his status.
It remains unclear whether Khamenei will participate in any part of the funeral proceedings, which are scheduled for July 9 in Mashhad. The Iranian regime has not officially confirmed the security concerns, and the report remains attributed to anonymous security officials.
7 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
- DevelopingCriticism: No Israeli official attended Khamenei's funeral
- StrongIranian economic activist claims Mojtaba Khamenei will attend father's funeral
Source and signal
- Internal intake