Iran to hold six-day funeral for Ali Khamenei, his son Mojtaba will not attend

Mojtaba Khamenei will not take part in the funeral ceremonies for his father due to threats from Israel and security considerations.

Ali Khamenei, who led Iran for 36 years, died on February 28 - the day when the United States and Israel began striking Iran, leading to war in the Middle East.

The funeral events will take place from July 4 to 9 in Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad. Millions of people are expected to participate.

According to reports, Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei will not attend the funeral of his father, former Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, for security reasons. According to Ayatollah Hakim Elahi, who represents Iran's interests in India, threats from Israel and the risk of surveillance make Mojtaba's public appearance "dangerous," the ANI agency reports.

The funeral ceremonies will begin in Tehran on July 4 and conclude on July 9 with his burial in his hometown of Mashhad - a holy city in the northeast of the country. The rituals will also include events in Qom - a holy city south of Tehran - on July 7, as well as other religious ceremonies.

Iranian authorities expect millions of mourners to take to the streets over the six days, making the funeral one of the most closely watched world events. Posters and huge billboards with images of the late Ali Khamenei have already been placed in many cities in Iran.

Since March, there have been active discussions about the timing of the final funeral events. Although Islamic law usually requires the deceased to be buried as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours, an exception was made in this case due to the state of war.

Last month, Iran and the United States signed a peace agreement, but subsequently continued exchanging strikes in the Middle East, putting the truce at risk. Nevertheless, in recent days the intensity of hostilities appears to have decreased.

Source: NDTV World