Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has still not appeared at any of the funeral events for his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, after Iranian security officials rejected his request to attend the burial ceremony, according to a New York Times report published Saturday. The reason cited was concern that Israel would attempt to assassinate him or track his movements back to his hiding place.
According to the report, Mojtaba asked to attend the burial rites scheduled for July 9 at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his father's birthplace, and to personally pray over the body. Officials in the Revolutionary Guard and the broader security establishment turned down the request for now, according to IRGC figures and funeral organizers cited by the newspaper.
Mojtaba has not appeared in public since he was wounded in the opening strike of the US-Israeli campaign on February 28, an attack that killed his father, his wife and his teenage son. He has communicated only through written statements since taking over as supreme leader, and he was likewise absent from Wednesday's memorial for his wife and son. His continued absence has fueled growing questions inside Iran over who is actually running the country.
A Power Struggle at the Top of the Regime
The Times reported that the question of Mojtaba's attendance is not purely a security matter. Four senior Iranian officials and two members of the Revolutionary Guard told the paper that a fierce power struggle is underway behind the scenes between rival camps in the regime, each trying to draw the new supreme leader closer and secure influence over the Islamic Republic's future.
According to the report, the more pragmatic camp, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and senior Revolutionary Guard generals, currently holds the upper hand, having pushed Khamenei toward accepting the framework for negotiations with Washington. The hardline camp has pushed back publicly, including an incident this past week in which a televised interview with Ghalibaf discussing the memorandum of understanding with the United States was abruptly cut off.
Talks With the US Remain Stalled
Separately, Reuters reported that the latest round of indirect talks between the United States and Iran ended without any significant breakthrough. According to the report, the discussions focused mainly on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and releasing frozen Iranian funds, issues that were supposed to have been resolved under the interim agreement.
Meanwhile, the multi-day funeral procession for Khamenei continues to serve as a platform for the regime to project strength, with chants of "death to America," anti-Israel banners, and signs condemning US President Donald Trump on display throughout the ceremonies.
