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Tehran: Following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader ( Leaders) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country’s top leaders and officials appeared in public at the funeral prayers held in Tehran. However, all eyes were searching for Mojtaba Khamenei, who has been named the new Supreme Leader; Mojtaba was nowhere to be seen. While Mojtaba’s three brothers appeared publicly at the funeral prayers, his absence deepened the suspense in Tehran. Notably, this marks the first time the Iranian leadership has appeared together on such a large scale since the airstrike on February 28.
Top Leaders Seen at Funeral Prayers
On Sunday, 97-year-old Shia cleric Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani led the prayers at Tehran’s ‘Grand Mosalla’. Present at the event were Khamenei’s sons—Masoud, Meysam, and Mostafa—alongside Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) chief General Ahmad Vahidi, President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Quds Force chief Esmail Qaani. General Vahidi was seen wearing plain clothes and a black baseball cap, surrounded by security personnel.
Where Is Mojtaba Khamenei?
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Supreme Leader who has taken charge of Iran following his father’s death, has yet to appear in public. It is believed that he has remained in hiding since being injured in the same airstrike. Israel has also threatened to assassinate him. It is under the leadership of Mojtaba Khamenei that Iran is currently negotiating to permanently end the conflict with the US and lift the blockade on global energy supplies in the Strait of Hormuz.
**Direct threat to Trump**
The atmosphere during the mourning gathering was extremely tense, and there was palpable anger among the people. Posters calling for the assassination of Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were displayed at the Grand Mosalla. Addressing the crowd over the loudspeaker, the event’s moderator and poet, Mohammad Rasouli, took direct aim at Trump, asking, “Why is the world’s most evil man (Trump) still alive?” In response to this question, the crowd chanted slogans of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”
**Trump’s counter-response from Washington**
Meanwhile, as anti-Trump slogans were being shouted in Tehran, Donald Trump was praising the US military in Washington D.C. during an event marking the nation’s 250th anniversary. Trump stated, “We have achieved tremendous success. Look at Venezuela, look at Iran. We have completely devastated them; we have destroyed their military.”
**When and where will he be laid to rest?**
Ayatollah Khamenei’s mortal remains will be taken to various cities across Iran and the neighboring country of Iraq. His funeral procession will be held on the streets of Tehran on Monday. He will be laid to rest on Thursday at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad. Due to this period of national mourning, the ongoing peace talks with the US have been temporarily suspended.
