A condolence ceremony is scheduled to be held on Saturday following the death of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during military strikes on 28 February.

The semi‑official Tasnim News Agency reported that the prayers will be led by his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, sparking mounting speculation over whether he will finally make a rare public appearance.

The announcement has drawn intense international scrutiny, as Mojtaba has remained entirely absent from the public domain since the outbreak of the war. Official channels have withheld photographs, video footage, and audio recordings, leaving his visibility shrouded in secrecy.

Mojtaba was formally designated as the new supreme leader by a clerical council in early March, one week after his father’s death. However, the political transition remains uncertain due to his complete absence from public view. Senior sources in Tehran have indicated that Mojtaba sustained severe trauma during the strike that killed his father, including facial disfigurement and major injuries to his limbs.

These sources added that while he is undergoing recovery, his health has not advanced sufficiently to permit public appearances. Intelligence agencies are also reportedly restricting his visibility due to fears of further US military operations targeting Iran’s leadership.

According to Tasnim, the condolence ceremony will take place on Saturday after the Maghrib and Isha prayers. The event will be hosted at the Imam Khomeini portico within the shrine of Hazrat Masumeh in Qom. Maghrib and Isha are the final two obligatory daily prayers in Islam, performed in succession from sunset until dawn.

This ceremony follows the conclusion of Ali Khamenei’s funeral rites. State media confirmed that he was laid to rest at the Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad early on Friday, ending a week of massive funeral processions and mourning rituals across Iran and Iraq.

The funeral ceremonies unfolded amid renewed friction between Tehran and Washington, following a temporary truce in the four‑month‑old conflict. The clerical establishment actively promoted the funeral events to project strength and ideological commitment.

The atmosphere was heavy during the processions in Mashhad on Thursday. Dense crowds flanked the coffin, and hostile chants were directed at US President Donald Trump. Protesters shouted, “I swear by the blood of the supreme leader, Trump, we will kill you!” Several women carried signs demanding to “Kill Trump.”

By nightfall, the central courtyard of the Shrine of Imam Reza was filled with mourners. Chants of “Death to America” echoed through the complex, interspersed with traditional elegies broadcast over loudspeakers.

The IRNA news agency confirmed that authorities had completed the burial of Ali Khamenei and four family members who were killed in the same attack.

This transition marks a critical juncture for Iran, ending nearly four decades of Khamenei’s rule. It also follows months of nationwide demonstrations against the theocratic government, which were suppressed earlier this year in a sweeping crackdown by security agencies.

Ali Khamenei had assumed the role of supreme leader in 1989, a decade after the Islamic Revolution. During his tenure, he centralised political, military, and economic power within his office, steadily marginalising the country’s elected parliament and presidency.

The possibility of Mojtaba Khamenei leading the condolence prayers has therefore become a focal point of speculation, symbolising both the fragility of Iran’s leadership transition and the enduring volatility of the regional environment.

ANI