Iran’s new leader remains unseen as nation mourns Khamenei

International Iran’s new leader remains unseen as nation mourns Khamenei Comments: by Sarah Davis - 07/04/26 9:44 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Sarah Davis - 07/04/26 9:44 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has yet to be seen attending the funeral ceremonies for his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The memorial services, which began on Friday, are expected to draw in millions of mourners.

The elder Khamenei was killed in the early stages of the Iran war, after the U.S. and Israel launched joint military strikes against the Islamic Republic on Feb. 28. He will be buried on July 9.

His son, the country’s current ruler, was reportedly injured during the initial strikes and has not been seen in public since he took the country’s reins in March. He has released few public statements during this conflict, which also raised questions about the state of his health.

The New York Times reported on Saturday that it is unclear whether the supreme leader plans to attend any of the services commemorating his father.

The funeral procession comes amid a renewed negotiation period between the U.S. and Iran, after both sides signed a memorandum of understanding to end this months-long conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping channel.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has been leading these negotiations, confirmed in a Saturday social media post that he attended a funeral service for the late Iranian leader.

“The late Supreme Leader’s wisdom, leadership and profound influence on Iran and the wider region will be remembered for generations,” he wrote.

Sharif also noted he was joined by Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, and several other high-ranking officials from his country at this commemorative event.

“As a brotherly neighbor, Pakistan stands with Iran in this time of grief,” the prime minister wrote.

Videos and photos of the funeral services held at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla shared by Iranian state media showed large crowds paying tribute to the slain leader. Many attendees waved red flags in these videos — which “indicates a definite promise of revenge,” according to the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

“The great nation of Iran, with hearts brimming with sorrow and resolves infused with hope, will prove that the flag for whose enduring raise the martyred leader struggled shall not fall to the ground,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote in a Saturday social media post.

“And we desire to bestow a favor upon those who have been oppressed on earth and make them leaders and make them the inheritors,” he added.