Mourning of slain supreme leader enters second day in Iran
by Joe Fisher · UPIJuly 5 (UPI) -- Three of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attended his dayslong funeral on its second day Sunday.
Khamenei's eldest son Mostafa Khamenei and siblings Masoud and Meysam joined thousands in Iran mourning the late supreme leader who was killed at the onset of the Iran war on Feb. 28. Missing from the proceedings was Khamenei's successor Mojtaba Khamenei.
Khamenei's coffin was carried by mourners out of the the Grand Mosalla of Tehran on Sunday morning. Sunday has been marked a holiday in Iran in recognition of the late supreme leader.
On Sunday evening, his body will leave Grand Mosalla ahead of a procession that will move through Tehran on Monday.
Mourners shared prayers for Khamenei and called for revenge for his killing. While Mojtaba Khamenei has not been present, other Iranian leaders have, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i and Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Hassan Hassanzadeh.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said Saturday that representatives from more than 70 countries have come to Iran for Khamenei's funeral.
Mojtaba Khamenei's absence from the funeral processions is marked by reports that he was wounded in strikes by the United States in the beginning of the war. Khamenei has not made a public appearance since being named supreme leader, raising questions about his health.