Iran marked the funeral of its late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with a series of large-scale ceremonies and public displays of mourning that revealed notable internal divisions within the country’s leadership. The funeral week, which began on Friday, drew hundreds of thousands of mourners to Tehran’s Grand Mosalla prayer complex and was set to continue through several cities, including Qom, Najaf, Karbala, and ultimately Mashhad, where Khamenei is to be buried at the Imam Reza shrine.
Despite expectations, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as the new supreme leader in March, was absent from the main funeral prayer in Tehran. The responsibility for leading the rites fell instead to Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, a senior cleric. Mojtaba’s absence, reportedly due to injuries sustained during the Israeli airstrike in February that killed his father and several family members, including his wife and teenage son, has fueled speculation about both his health and the extent of his authority. Iranian officials suggest security concerns related to possible Israeli assassination attempts have also influenced the decision to keep Mojtaba out of the public eye.
The absence of the new supreme leader at such a significant event has exposed and intensified political tensions among Iran’s ruling elite. Officials and public figures have openly clashed over the country’s approach to ongoing hostilities and diplomatic negotiations with the United States. The funeral coincided with renewed calls from hard-line factions for vengeance against the nations responsible for the attack, including Israel and the United States, rejecting any notion of rapprochement. Slogans of “revenge” echoed throughout the ceremonies, and senior military leaders, including Revolutionary Guards commanders, reaffirmed commitments to retaliate.
At the same time, a pragmatic faction within the leadership—comprising key generals of the Revolutionary Guards, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, President Masoud Pezeshkian, and others—has advocated for pursuing a cease-fire and diplomatic engagement with the United States, despite opposition from hardliners. This group is reportedly dominant in decision-making circles and has pushed through agreements seeking to halt hostilities, recognizing the economic and social pressures facing Iran.
Public debates and state media coverage have reflected these internal divisions. Hardline figures have accused negotiators of treason and appeasement, while government officials emphasize the desire for a "grand bargain" that would end the threat of war and help Iran’s economy recover. The situation underscores a notable shift from the previous supreme leader’s absolute authority; according to officials close to Mojtaba Khamenei, decision-making has become more collective, involving institutions like Parliament and the Supreme National Security Council.
As the funeral rites continue, attention remains focused on when and how Mojtaba Khamenei will fully assume his public role, especially as he faces challenges consolidating power amid factional rivalries. Key forthcoming appointments to top judicial, military, and media positions are expected to signal the new leader’s alignment with either the pragmatic or hardline camps.
Iran’s leadership appears caught between the demands of a population weary of conflict and the imperative among some factions to pursue a path of retaliation, making the coming period crucial for the country’s political trajectory.