Mourners at Khamenei funeral identify masked figure as his grandson wounded in US-Israeli strikes

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A masked man photographed in the front rows of the state funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, founder and first supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has been identified as Mohammad Javad Khamenei, the supreme leader's grandson and son of Mustafa Khamenei, according to Iran International. The outlet reported that Mohammad Javad covered his face because he sustained severe burns and wounds in U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28, the same attacks in which Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed. Iran International also reported that Mücteba Khamenei, the supreme leader's son, has not appeared publicly since those strikes, with intelligence reports indicating he suffered serious injuries. Rather than appear on camera, Mücteba pledged to respond by posting a message on a Telegram channel marking his father's death. Organizers described the funeral as an event intended to emphasize the continuity of state institutions and to project a message of resistance. No further details were immediately available.