Sons of slain Iran leader Khamenei attend funeral, but successor absent

Three sons of Iran's slain leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prayed beside his coffin and those of four other family members on Sunday. However, Mojtaba, the son widely seen as his successor, did not make an appearance.

State television showed Mostafa, Meysam, and Masoud Khamenei praying behind the coffins at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla. The Islamic Republic is staging a week of mass funeral processions for Khamenei, with his remains also to be taken to Shi'ite religious sites in neighboring Iraq.

After lying in state for senior officials and foreign dignitaries, Khamenei's coffin was displayed outdoors on Saturday with those of his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and 14-month-old granddaughter. There has been no public sighting of Mojtaba Khamenei, who is said to have been injured in the February 28 attack that killed his father and other family members. People close to his inner circle told Reuters that Mojtaba Khamenei's face was disfigured and he suffered a significant leg injury.

A ceasefire has suspended the four-month war under an agreement with Washington, which Iran's authorities claim will bring huge economic benefits and represents a victory over a superpower. U.S. President Donald Trump told Axios that peace talks were paused for a week for the funeral events.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also prayed behind the coffins on Sunday. Masoud Khamenei was seen crying as an imam recited funeral prayers. Crowds of Iranians, many weeping, thronged the Mosalla, with the metro system reporting 7 million trips from late Saturday to Sunday morning.

Following a large procession in central Tehran on Monday, Khamenei's remains will go to Qom for ceremonies on Tuesday. The body will then be flown to Iraq for ceremonies in Najaf and Kerbala on Wednesday, before returning to Iran for another procession in Mashhad, where he will be buried near the tomb of a medieval Shi'ite imam. Authorities plan to mobilize millions for processions, providing transport, food, and lodging.

“

Mojtaba Khamenei’s face was disfigured and he suffered a significant injury to one or both legs