Sons pray at Khamenei's funeral; successor absent

Iran is staging a week of mass funeral processions for its late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a significant event for the theocratic state. State television broadcast images of three of Khamenei's sons – Mostafa, Meysam, and Masoud – praying beside his coffin and those of four other family members at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla. Notably absent from the public prayers was Mojtaba, widely seen as Khamenei's successor. Earlier reports suggested Mojtaba may have been injured in an attack that killed his father and other relatives on February 28, during Israeli and U.S. bombings of Iranian targets. Sources close to his inner circle told Reuters that Mojtaba's face was disfigured and he suffered significant leg injuries. The funeral events are taking place amidst a ceasefire in a four-month war, which Iran's authorities claim has brought economic benefits and marked a victory over a superpower. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that peace talks were paused for a week to accommodate the funeral proceedings. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf also participated in the prayers. Crowds of mourners have thronged the Mosalla, with the metro system reporting millions of trips to the site. Following a large procession in Tehran on Monday, Khamenei's remains will be taken to Qom, then flown to Iraq for ceremonies in Najaf and Kerbala, before returning to Iran for a final procession in Mashhad.

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