Whereabouts of Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei remain a mystery
Even as crowds flock to the Iranian capital for the funeral ceremonies of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, murdered in a joint US-Israeli attack, the whereabouts of his son, Iran's new supreme leader, remain unknown.
Mojtaba Khamenei has yet to make any public appearances, raising doubts about his health and fueling questions about who is leading the nation.
Although the Iranian government has detailed a series of events, no plans for Mojtaba's presence have been announced, although any decision to that effect is unlikely to be made public in advance given security considerations.
Mojtaba is believed to have been injured in the attack that killed his father, mother and wife.
He has remained in hiding since the start of the war in late February, communicating with his supporters only through written statements shared by Iranian media and attributed to him. He never showed his face or used his voice.
Three children of Khamenei attend funeral
Three children of the late Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prayed next to his coffin and four other family members, this Sunday (5).
Mostafa, Masoud and Meysam Khamenei were seen mourning the death of their father, as well as that of four other murdered family members - Reuters
State television showed Mostafa, Meysam and Masoud Khamenei praying behind coffins arranged in the vast courtyard of Imam Khomeini's Great Mosalla in Tehran, a sprawling religious complex.
Their father, along with several other family members, was killed in an airstrike when the United States and Israel began war against Iran on February 28.
Exclusive: CNN accompanies funeral of supreme leader Ali Khamenei | NOW CNN
The conflict, which dragged on for several weeks before the parties reached a fragile ceasefire, caused death and destruction across the region and kept Iran's theocratic government, backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in power.
In a show of public devotion to the state and revolutionary fervor, the Islamic Republic is organizing a week of mass funeral processions for Khamenei, including the transfer of his remains to Shiite religious sites in neighboring Iraq.
Após um dia de velório em ambiente fechado, reservado a autoridades iranianas de alto escalão e representantes estrangeiros, o caixão de Khamenei foi exposto ao ar livre, no sábado (4), sob uma cobertura de vidro, juntamente com os de sua filha, seu genro, sua nora e sua neta de 14 meses.
Who is Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader of Iran
Source: CNN