Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was conspicuously absent from his father's funeral on Sunday. His father, Ali Khamenei, ruled Iran for over three decades until his death in February.
Senior regime officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, joined a massive crowd in Tehran to pay their respects. Ali Khamenei's three other sons were present.
Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since his appointment in early March. His absence fuels speculation about his well-being and the stability of the regime, especially with Israel having threatened him.
The carefully orchestrated ceremonies are expected to draw 12-20 million mourners across Iran. On Sunday, mourners in Tehran chanted anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans.
U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the event, suggesting the mourning might be insincere. He also noted that a fragile ceasefire was in place, with peace talks paused for the funeral week.
The late supreme leader's coffin will travel from Tehran to the holy city of Qom, then to Iraq, before a final burial in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday.