Sons of Khamenei Attend His Funeral Amidst Public Mourning

Three of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's sons participated in the funeral prayer on Sunday for their father and four other family members in Tehran. Notably absent was his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei.

Footage broadcast by state media showed the attendance of Masoud, Meysam, and Mostafa Khamenei at the collective funeral prayer, marking their first public appearance since the onset of the conflict with Iran.

Contrarily, the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was absent for the second consecutive day of his father's funeral ceremonies in Tehran.

Mojtaba has not been seen publicly since being severely injured in joint airstrikes by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28, which also led to the death of his father, wife, and son.

Among the four brothers, Masoud and Mostafa primarily focus on religious studies in the city of Qom, performing minor political roles in their father's office.

Mojtaba and Meysam are reportedly more involved behind the political scenes, according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

The institute adds that starting in 1988, both served in the armed forces for two years, after which Mojtaba began his religious studies, initially in Tehran and later in Qom since 1999.

Who are Khamenei's three sons?

Mostafa Khamenei (the eldest son)

Born on February 5, 1965, in Mashhad, Mostafa's engagements extend beyond religious studies in Qom. Reports indicate he is a prominent real estate investor in Tehran and holds shares in foreign car sales within the Iranian market.

Masoud Khamenei (the third son)

Born in 1974 and also known as "Seyyed Mohsen Khamenei," he heads the "Preservation and Publication Office of the Supreme Leader's Works," responsible for organizing and documenting Ali Khamenei's speeches and writings.

Meysam Khamenei (the youngest son)

Born in 1978, Meysam is the least visible among his brothers and serves as a teacher at the Qom seminary. He also participates in some leadership institution activities, working in Tehran within the Preservation and Publication Office of the Supreme Leader's Works.

The Funeral of Ali Khamenei

During his father's funeral, Masoud Khamenei was seen in tears, wiping his eyes with a scarf, while crowds of Iranians poured into Tehran's Grand Prayer Hall even during late Saturday hours, many shedding tears as others joined.

On Monday in central Tehran, the body will be transported to Qom, the center of Shiite religious authority in Iran, for another ceremony on Tuesday. The body will then be flown for services in Najaf and Karbala, Iraq, on Wednesday, with burial in Mashhad on Thursday, following another procession.