Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Funeral Updates | Successor Mojtaba still absent, slain leader’s three sons lead funeral prayers
Mourners gather before funeral prayers during dayslong funeral ceremonies for the slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Sunday. (Source: AP Photo)
Three sons of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei, Mostafa, Meysam and Masoud led funeral prayers beside his coffin in Tehran on Sunday as the country began a week-long series of public mourning ceremonies. Notably absent was Mojtaba Khamenei, who has succeeded his father as supreme leader and is reportedly recovering from injuries sustained in the February 28 attack that killed Khamenei and four other family members. The funeral rites will continue with mass processions across Iran before Khamenei’s remains are taken to the Shia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq and returned for burial in Mashhad.
Meanwhile, Iran today slammed US President Donald Trump’s “one shot” remark on Ali Khamenei’s funeral, and said, “People can be killed, but ideals cannot. You killed Ayatollah Khamenei, but in reality, you broke a perfume bottle whose scent spread everyplace.” Targeting Trump in a post on X, the Iranian Embassy in the US said: “You don’t understand these things because you have neither civilization, nor history, nor honor.”
Story continues below this ad
Trump, in an interview with Axios, had expressed his surprise at the scale of mourning in Iran. He admitted that he had expected people to dislike Khamenei and suggested the tears on display could be “fake”. He said that the US was holding back during Khamenei’s funeral despite having the capability to strike, telling the outlet: “One shot and we can take them all out, but we are not going to do that because then we would have nobody to negotiate with.” He claimed Iran was “begging to make a deal” and said Washington had paused action for a week out of respect for the ceremonies.
Millions of Iranians have taken to the streets during the week-long funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, making it one of the most closely watched global events in recent days. As large crowds gather across Iran, comments by US President Donald Trump about the funeral and Iran’s sharp response have added a political edge to the mourning period.
Latest developments:
- Over 10 million people and delegates from 100+ countries expected at the funeral
- Iran preparing for possible mass-casualty incidents during processions
- Authorities estimate 15–20 million attendees in Tehran over three days
- Funeral ceremonies to continue in Iraq before final burial
- Mojtaba Khamenei, named successor, has not yet appeared in public
Follow The Indian Express Global Desk live coverage for the latest updates from West Asia, the diplomatic corridors of Europe, and the evolving legal battles in Washington.
Live Updates
Stay updated with the latest – Click here to follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd