Mojtaba Khamenei to miss father's funeral over security concerns

Iran's current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei will not attend the funeral ceremonies of his father, the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his representative in India said on Thursday, July 2. The decision was made following threats from Israel to kill him, according to Al Jazeera.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the US-Israeli aggression on February 28. His burial was initially planned for March but was postponed as the war in Iran continued.

The state funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei officially began on Friday, July 3, and will continue for seven days. Iranian state media reported that representatives from nearly 100 countries are expected to attend. He will be buried in Mashhad on July 9.

Meanwhile, a top Iranian military official has warned the US and Israel against any attack during the funeral. In a statement published by state media, Commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters Ali Abdollahi said, "We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the US and the Zionist regime, not to make any miscalculation. Our armed forces will give a harsh response to any threat or aggression against our country."