Where is Mojtaba Khamenei? Iran's Supreme Leader still missing ahead of father's burial

Ali Khamenei's funeral process began on Monday and is expected to last 10-12 hours before the burial at the holy shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad on July 9.

As the final procession for the funeral of Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei began in Tehran on Monday morning, a glaring question continues to be asked -- where is Mojtaba Khamenei? The deceased leader's son and successor.

Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not made any public appearance since being announced as Iran's Supreme Leader, had reportedly sought to attend his father's funeral in Tehran. (AFP)

The funeral rituals for the late Supreme Leader began at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran on Saturday, June 4, with his burial scheduled for July 9 in Mashhad.

During Sunday's prayers, as a sea of Ali Khamenei's supporters thronged the Grand Mosalla religious complex, his three sons -- Masoud, Meysam and Mostafa Khamenei -- were seen mourning. However, his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, remained absent.

The three of the sons of slain Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - Meysam (3rd L), Masoud (C) and Mostafa (2nd R) - praying alongside Iranian officials at the Grand Mosalla on Sunday.

Mojtaba Khamenei was announced as Iran's next Supreme Leader soon after the joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28 killed his father, Ali Khamenei. And even though Mojtaba has made several statements on the war and the peace talks with the US since then, he is yet to make a public appearance -- a necessity for many hardliners and a large part of the world to believe that Iran's Supreme Leader is present and alive.

Several reports earlier suggested that Mojtaba Khamenei was in hiding after being critically injured in the February 28 attacks. However, the exact state of his well-being and his whereabouts remain unknown.

Mojtaba's face was disfigured, and he suffered significant injury to one or both legs, Reuters reported, citing people close to the Supreme Leader's inner circle.

No Mojtaba for father's funeral?

Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not made any public appearance since being announced as Iran's Supreme Leader, had reportedly sought to attend his father's funeral in Tehran.

However, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps refused his request over security concerns, the New York Times reported earlier, citing two IRGC members and a person familiar with the funeral plans.

Mojtaba had expressed his wish to participate in Ali Khamenei's funeral, saying he would like to attend the burial ceremony on July 9 and recite a prayer of the dead over his father's mortal remains.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's followers have been mourning his death at his funeral in Tehran, while also deeply feeling the absence of his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei.

But the Iranian security officials reportedly rejected his idea so far due to concerns that Israel could try to assassinate him at the ceremony or trace his hiding location from his movements.

Since being announced as the next Supreme Leader, Mojtaba has consistently been warned of assassination by Israel.

Khamenei okayed US talks, but some unconvinced

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had recently said that Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei approved the decision to reach a diplomatic deal with the US to end the war in the Middle East, refusing to "bend to the will of a minority".

However, Iranian hardliners aren't convinced about Khamenei's call. According to them, it is not like the Supreme Leader to trust the US, let alone approve a diplomatic arrangement. They have reportedly vowed to resist the peace deal until Mojtaba Khamenei appears in-person or releases a voice recording.

Could Mojtaba attend July 9 burial?

The funeral process for Ali Khamenei, which began on July 4, is finally in its last leg. The procession began on Monday morning in Tehran and is expected to last 10-12 hours before the burial at the holy shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad on July 9.

From Saturday to Monday, Mojtaba remained absent. And while the majority of the reports indicate that the Supreme Leader will end up entirely skipping his father's funeral, the burial remains to be an event that will be closely watched. Especially, since the NYT report specifically mentioned that Mojtaba Khamenei requested to participate in his father's 'burial' on July 9 and that security personnel had rejected his idea 'so far'.

The final update on Mojtaba Khamenei's possible attendance at the burial will be confirmed on the day.

Teary-eyed Iranian leaders at funeral

Prayers for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family members, killed in the February 28 strike, were led by Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, a 97-year-old Shiite cleric, at the Grand Mosalla.

Seen along with the former Supreme Leader's three sons, Masoud, Meysam and Mostafa, was the IRGC head, General Ahmad Vahidi.

President Pezeshkian, Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and head of the elite Quds Force of the paramilitary IRGC, Esmail Qaani, were also seen mourning Ali Khamenei at the funeral process.