Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader, will not attend the funeral ceremonies of his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, due to security concerns, according to Ayatollah Hakim Elahi, the current leader's representative in India.
Elahi said Israeli threats and surveillance risks had made Mojtaba's public appearance "dangerous", reported ANI.
Ali Khamenei, who led Iran for 36 years, was killed on Feb. 28 during the opening day of the US-Israel military strikes on Iran. Funeral ceremonies will begin in Tehran on July 4 before moving to Qom on July 7 and concluding with his burial in Mashhad on July 9.
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The development comes as Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, the caretaker commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), made his first public appearance since the conflict began.
The Iranian Embassy in Indonesia said in a post on X, "The Supreme Commander of the IRGC, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, was seen in public for the first time since the start of the war. He attended the final tribute and farewell procession for Martyr Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei."
Vahidi, a veteran IRGC commander, took charge after Mohammad Pakpour was killed in the early phase of the US-Israel conflict.
He previously headed the IRGC's Quds Force from 1988 to 1997 before being succeeded by Qassem Soleimani. Vahidi has also served as Iran's defence minister and interior minister.
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Iranian authorities have tightened security ahead of the funeral, with public offices in Tehran set to remain shut for parts of the ceremonies, traffic restrictions imposed across the capital and partial airspace closures planned as millions of mourners are expected to attend.
According to state-linked news broadcaster IRIB, representatives from more than 100 countries are expected to attend the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which starts on Friday.
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