Six-Day State Funeral Begins for Ali Khamenei — Successor Mojtaba Absent

Tens of thousands of mourners packed Tehran's Grand Mosalla for the second day of a six-day state funeral for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, killed in the February 28, 2026 US-Israeli strike. Three of Khamenei's sons attended, but his successor and son Mojtaba Khamenei — elected by the Assembly of Experts in March — was notably absent, reportedly barred from attending over fears of an Israeli assassination attempt. Mojtaba has not appeared in public since his ascension; US officials say he was severely wounded, possibly losing a leg, in the strike that killed his father. Mourners chanted calls for 'revenge against the US and Israel.' Processions were also held in the Shia shrine cities of Karbala and Najaf, Iraq, ahead of burial in Mashhad.