Iranian security officials have turned down a request from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to attend the burial of his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, out of concern that Israel could either kill him at the ceremony or use his appearance to trace him back to wherever he has been hiding, The New York Times reported Saturday, citing two members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a person involved in planning the funeral.
According to the report, Mojtaba Khamenei has asked to attend his father’s burial in Mashhad on July 9 so that he can personally perform the funeral rites, but officials have so far refused the request. All three sources spoke on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the funeral preparations.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since he was injured in the strikes that killed his father, his wife, and his son during the opening days of the US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran, which began on February 28.
The Times noted that he was also absent from a memorial service held for his wife in Tehran on Wednesday, adding to questions about both his condition and his role in the country’s leadership during the funeral proceedings.