Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is unlikely to attend the funeral ceremonies of his father, late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, due to serious security concerns, according to reports cited by Al Jazeera.
The report said Mojtaba Khamenei has expressed his desire to attend the funeral, but he has not been allowed to appear publicly because officials fear Israel could target him during the mourning events.
Al Jazeera TV reported, citing two Revolutionary Guard officials, that Mojtaba Khamenei was not allowed to attend his father’s funeral due to security concerns.
Officials reportedly fear that Israel could assassinate Mojtaba Khamenei during the condolence ceremonies. They are also concerned that Israel could track his secret location through his movements if he appears in public.
Expert says risks remain high
Mohammad Eslami, a research fellow at the University of Tehran, told Al Jazeera that he does not expect Mojtaba Khamenei to attend the multiple days of funeral ceremonies. He said there are major concerns over what he described as Israeli aggression against Iran and the new supreme leader.
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Eslami said Israel does not respect international law and has publicly threatened operations inside Iran.
Fears over sabotage of Iran-US deal
Eslami also said Israel wants to sabotage the interim agreement between Iran and the United States. He added that, given these concerns, this is not the right moment for Iran’s new supreme leader to attend public ceremonies.
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Paul Musgrave, an associate professor at Georgetown University of Qatar, told Al Jazeera that Iran’s concerns are understandable.
He said Tehran may fear that Israel could carry out a second “decapitation strike” at the funeral, noting that Israel has used funeral processions in the past to target political leaders.
Pressure to appear publicly
Musgrave said that despite legitimate security concerns, Iran will eventually need to show its leader in public.
He noted that Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in person for months, adding that Iran will have to demonstrate that he is not a hidden supreme leader but someone actually in charge.
