Mojtaba Khamenei unlikely to attend his father's funeral, says special envoy to India

Funeral prayers and burial arrangements for Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, are scheduled to begin during the first week of July, four months after his death.

The reports state that between 4 and 9 July 2026, the late leader's body will be taken to five cities across Iran and Iraq to allow members of the public to pay their final respects.

Funeral prayers and the initial mourning ceremonies are expected to take place from 4 to 6 July at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran, where large crowds are anticipated.

On 7 July, the body is reportedly scheduled to be transferred to the holy city of Qom, where memorial gatherings and condolence ceremonies will be held.

According to the reports, the body will return to Iran on 9 July, with burial planned at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, the city identified in the report as his hometown.

The reports also state that a number of international leaders are expected to attend the funeral and burial ceremonies. However, there has been conflicting speculation regarding whether his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is described as the current Supreme Leader in the report, will be present.

According to the report, Mojtaba Khamenei was allegedly injured in the same attack in which Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed and has not appeared in public since. It further suggests that his reported injuries may prevent him from attending the funeral.

No official statement has been issued by the Iranian government regarding Mojtaba Khamenei's attendance at his father's funeral. However, comments attributed to Ayatollah Hakim Elahi, described in the report as the Iranian Supreme Leader's representative in India, have attracted considerable attention.

In an interview with the Indian television channel India Today, Ayatollah Hakim Elahi reportedly claimed that Mojtaba Khamenei would be unable to attend the funeral because of security concerns.

He said that continued threats against Iran's leadership from Israel meant it would not be appropriate for Mojtaba Khamenei to appear in public.

He added that ensuring the security of Iran's leadership remained the highest priority and that this was the reason behind the reported decision.

Neither the Iranian government nor a spokesperson for Mojtaba Khamenei had publicly confirmed or denied these claims.