Will Mojtaba Khamenei attend father’s funeral? Suspense increased due to silence of Iranian officials

New Delhi: The funeral of Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will begin on July 4 and last for six days. But the biggest question is whether his son and current supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei will be present at the burial.

Missing in public since 28th February   

56-year-old Mojtaba has not been seen since the US-Iran war started on February 28. He was seriously injured in the same attack in which his father was killed. Since then he has not made any appearance in front of his supporters.

However, his written statements and audio recordings continue to be released. Some unconfirmed reports claim that Mojtaba was badly injured in that attack and his wife and mother also died. But Iranian officials are silent on his injuries.

Presence or absence, both have great significance   

If Mojtaba attends his father’s funeral, it will be considered a step to further strengthen his authority in the Islamic Republic. If he does not come, speculations will intensify that the supreme leader has not yet recovered from his injuries.

Even Iranian officials are not saying anything clearly on this. No statement has come from his office. Ali Akbar Porjamshidia, the organizer of the funeral, told CNN, "This decision is not within our power. This is entirely a matter of the office of the Supreme Leader."  

Iran’s warning to America-Israel   

Iran has warned America and Israel not to attack the country during Khamenei’s funeral. The procession will start from Tehran on Saturday and end in Mashhad on July 9. There will also be celebrations in Qom during the six-day programme.

Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said, "We warn America and the Zionist regime not to take any wrong steps. Our armed forces will give a strong response to any threat or attack."  

Lakhs of people expected to gather  

Iranian officials have appealed to people to attend the funeral in large numbers. Millions of people are expected to attend the funeral of Ali Khamenei in Tehran.

Mohammad Bagheri Ghalibaf, speaker of Iran’s parliament, said, "I invite all Iranians to write a glorious chapter in the history of Islamic Iran with their presence. The whole world should hear the country’s call for revenge."