(July 3, 2026)
His last public appearance was on February 8, mere weeks before he was reportedly missing after the deaths of Khamenei and other Revolutionary Guards officials during Operation Epic Fury on February 28.
Archiv: Ali Khamenei
Iran‘s Revolutionary Guard shadow leader resurfaced at a funeral after months
(July 4, 2026)
The fate of General Vahidi, who disappeared before the February 28 operation that killed Ayatollah Khamenei and many senior Revolutionary Guard officials, including former commander Mohammad Pakpour, had long been a subject of debate. Vahidi, attending Khamenei‘s funeral ceremony held ahead of the 40-day national mourning period starting this weekend, was captured by Iranian state media cameras mourning at the side of the coffin.
Iran‘s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei Remains Absent as Funeral Draws Global Attention, Fueling Succession Questions
(July 7, 2026)
His absence was particularly notable during the main funeral procession through Tehran on Monday, where three of Ali Khamenei‘s sons-Mostafa, Meysam and Masoud-were shown praying beside the family‘s coffins. Mojtaba did not appear alongside them, nor has he delivered a public speech or recorded message since assuming the country‘s highest office in March.
According to reports, Iranian security officials have discouraged Mojtaba from attending the remaining funeral ceremonies because they believe he could become a target for another Israeli attack.
Officials have reportedly rejected his request to attend the final burial in Mashhad, citing continuing security threats.
PM Shehbaz urges Restraint in call with Iranian President Pezeshkian amid US attacks
Reaffirming Pakistanâs commitment to regional peace, the prime minister assured President Pezeshkian that Islamabad would continue to play a constructive and impartial role in facilitating dialogue and supporting every effort aimed at maintaining stability.
President Pezeshkian thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and other senior Pakistani officials for attending the funeral of the late Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. He appreciated Pakistanâs consistent support for peace initiatives and reiterated Iranâs commitment to regional stability.
Iran media say 43 million people attended leaderâs funeral ceremonies
Anywhere between 41 to 43 million people participated in the six-day funeral ceremony for Iranâs slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iranian media report.
Iranâs Press TV called Khameneiâs funeral âthe largest procession the world has ever witnessedâ. Ceremonies took place across five cities: Tehran, Qom, Najaf, Karbala, and Mashhad.
Millions attend farewell ceremony for martyred Leader in Tehran
People say farewell to martyr Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on July 4, 2025 at the Grand Imam Khomeini Mosalla, Tehran, Iran.
âSixty seconds, thatâs all it tookâ: the clinical Israeli-US operation to kill Ali Khamenei
(March 1, 2026)
The timing of the assassination was determined by information the CIA gleaned about a meeting of top Iranian officials at a leadership compound in the heart of Tehran scheduled for Saturday morning. Most critically, the CIA was able to tell Israeli counterparts that Khamenei would be at the site and the timing of the meeting, according to the New York Times.
Israeli spies had also been tracking Khamenei for many years, building a minutely detailed file on his daily routine and those of his family members, associates, allies and those charged with keeping him safe.
Iranian officials, world leaders and high-ranking delegations pay tribute to martyred Leader in Tehran
Top Iranian officials, heads of state, foreign dignitaries, and high-ranking delegations from across the world have paid their respects to the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
In a solemn and historic ceremony unfolded at Tehran‘s Grand Mosalla on Friday, heads of the three branches of the Iranian government along with presidents, parliamentary speakers, special envoys, scholars, religious intellectuals, and thinkers from diverse backgrounds from across the globe paid their respects to the late Ayatollah Khamenei.
U.S.-Iran Latest: Slain supreme leader‘s coffin on display as Iran gears up for dayslong funeral, with peace talks paused
Qatari and Pakistani mediators said Thursday that the next meetings between Iranian and U.S. negotiators would be scheduled „at the earliest possible time“ after funeral commemorations for Iran‘s former supreme leader. Khamenei was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, and his funeral is to last from July 4 until July 9.
Why has Iranâs air defence network failed so badly?
(March 3, 2026)
Iranian air defence sites have been subjected to aggressive electromagnetic spectrum operations but in tandem, its defences have also been targeted kinetically.
(…)
For long-range defence, Iran has developed the Bavar-373 which has comparable capabilities to the Russian S-300. For short range air defence, the country has reverse engineered the Chinese HQ-7 as the Ya Zahr, and in 2021 the Zoubin system was unveiled.
Besides these copy cat systems, the country also leans on ageing Russian air defences, most notably the S-300PMU-2 battery.
Assembly of Experts elects Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei as Iranâs third Leader
The statement said the Assembly of Experts moved quickly to select a successor despite acute wartime conditions, direct threats against the institution and the bombing of the Assemblyâs secretariat offices, which it said resulted in the deaths of several staff members and security personnel.
According to the statement, the body began preparations for an extraordinary session immediately after news of the Leaderâs martyrdom. It said arrangements were made to gather its members from across the country in order to ensure that the Islamic Republic would not face a leadership vacuum.
Under Iranâs constitution, the Assembly of Experts â an 88-member clerical body elected by popular vote â is responsible for selecting and overseeing the countryâs Leader.
‚Any leader selected⊑: Even before Khamenei‘s funeral, Israel puts successor on âassassinationâ notice
Amid suspense over who takes the thrown after Khamenei‘s assassination, reports surfaced late Tuesday from Israeli Media that his son Mojtaba has been chosen as the successor.
Katz said it does not matter what the successor‘s name is âor the place where he hides.â
„The Prime Minister and I have instructed the IDF to prepare and act by all means to carry out the mission as an integral part of the objectives of Operation „Lion‘s Roar,“ the Israeli defence minister said on X.
Israeli defence minister pledges to âeliminateâ any successor to Khamenei
âIt does not matter what his name is or where he hides,â he said.
Katz went on to say that Israel will continue to act with the US to destroy Iranâs capabilities and âcreate the conditions for the Iranian people to overthrowâ their government.
Iranian state TV announces death of Iran‘s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
Iranian state media announced the death of Iran‘s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after contradictory reports of the killing.
Iranâs Khamenei has been killed, Iranian media say
The Tasnim and Fars news agencies are confirming the death of Iranâs Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran Reports Death of Khamenei Family Members in U.S.âIsraeli Airstrikes
BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 1. Four members of Supreme Leader Ali Khameneiâs family were reportedly killed in airstrikes carried out by Israel and the United States, Trend reports, citing Iranian media.
Among the deceased are Khameneiâs daughter, his son-in-law, his grandson, and one of his daughters-in-law.
Torture still scars Iranians 40 years after revolution
(February 6, 2019)
Torture became widespread, as shown in the museumâs exhibits. Interrogators all wear ties, a nod to their Western connections. Portraits of the shah, Queen Farah and his son, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, who now lives in exile in the U.S., hang above one torture scene
(…)
Sheikhi walked with Associated Press journalists through the prison that once held him, built in the 1930s by German engineers. Black-and-white photographs of its 8,500 prisoners from over the years line the walls. They include current Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the late President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.
Sheikhi, then 19, spent about three months in the prison and 11 months in another after being detained for distributing anti-shah statements from Khomeini, then in exile.
…
Inside Iran‘s Savak torture museum
May 17, 2025 #TheGrayzone
Caution: This report contains depictions of simulated violence that may upset some viewers.
Max Blumenthal tours one of the most disturbing museums on the planet.
Set in Tehran‘s former Ebrat Prison run by the anti-sabotage unit of Shah Reza Pahlavi‘s Savak intelligence services, the museum is filled with shockingly graphic exhibits featuring lifelike mannequins recreating the hideous torture tactics deployed to repress dissidents rebelling against Iran‘s monarchy.
Many mannequins on display represent notorious torturers who either fled or were executed after the Islamic revolution in 1979, while others are modeled after famous prisoners locked away in Ebrat like the current Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamanei.
Forget ‚total obliteration‘ â experts say Iran and U.S. need to negotiate
Iran has limited its interaction with IAEA inspectors for several years, although they were still allowed to monitor declared nuclear sites. On Wednesday, Iran‘s parliament recommended a bill that effectively suspended cooperation with the agency. On Thursday, the country‘s Guardian Council fully approved it.
Iran has made clear that the suspension does not mean it will pull out of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, but it will prevent IAEA inspections of Iran‘s bombed nuclear facilities.
„The Iranian regime has invested decades in its nuclear program and also an unparalleled amount of resources,“ says Stroul, of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. „So to think that after less than two weeks, they are just going to take a knee and abandon their entire nuclear ambitions is likely a short sighted approach.“
Iran foreign minister says US strikes on nuclear sites left „extensive and serious“ damage
Some background: The bill suspending cooperation with the watchdog is now on its final step before becoming law, having been sent to the countryâs president for his signature. However, Iranâs supreme leader and the SNSC have decisive authority over how such policies are executed and whether cooperation is effectively suspended.
‚Any US military intervention will be met with irreparable harm‘: Leader
„Prudent individuals familiar with Iran, its nation, and its history never speak to this nation with threats, because the Iranian nation cannot be subdued,“ he declared. „Americans must know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be met with irreparable harm.“
The Leaderâs statement followed U.S. President Donald Trumpâs threats to target Ayatollah Khamenei and potential U.S. military entry into the war to assist Israel. The Tehran Times understands that every Israeli action since Friday has received full U.S. support, coordination, and cooperationâthough American jets have yet to directly engage.
Israel Kills Senior Iranian Official Who Wanted a Nuclear Deal With the US
Among the senior Iranian officials who were killed in Israelâs initial wave of airstrikes on Iran on Friday was Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who wanted to strike a nuclear deal with the US.
In an interview with NBC News in May, Shamkhani said Iran was willing to recommit to its pledge to never build a nuclear weapon, reduce uranium enrichment to low levels, and get rid of its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium in exchange for sanctions relief from the US.
âItâs still possible. If the Americans act as they say, for sure we can have better relations,â Shamkhani said at the time. âIt can lead to a better situation in the near future.â
Trump told Israel not to kill Iranâs supreme leader
President Donald Trump rejected a plan from Israel to assassinate Iranâs supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, POLITICO confirmed Sunday. Israel had a window in recent days to potentially kill the Iranian leader, but the president conveyed that he was adamantly against the plan, said a U.S. official granted anonymity to discuss sensitive conversations.
Reuters was the first to report on Trump nixing the plan Sunday morning.
Leader: Iranâs nuclear enrichment is none of Americaâs business
The United States has been claiming that Iran can import nuclear fuel for its reactors. However, the Leader said the United States is not trustworthy, saying the U.S. refused to sell 20-percent enriched uranium to Iran to power its medical reactor in the 2000s.
âIn the 2000s, we experienced firsthand how unreliable the U.S. was when it came to supplying 20% enriched fuel,â Ayatollah Khamenei pointed out, indirectly referring to Iran‘s need to nuclear fuel to power its Tehran medical reactor.
He said, âThe core demand of the U.S. is that Iran should not have a nuclear industry and should remain dependent on them. Our response to Americaâs nonsense is clear: they canât do a damn thing about it.â
Iran‘s Khamenei dismisses US nuclear proposal, vows to keep enriching uranium
„The proposal that the Americans have presented is 100% against our interests … The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear programme. Who are you to decide whether Iran should have enrichment?,“ he added.
Tehran says it wants to master nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and has long denied accusations by Western powers that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
A positive Muscat start, but will it end well?
Iran‘s foreign ministry characterized the indirect discussions with the U.S. in Oman as „constructive“ and generally „positive“ in a statement released shortly after the talks concluded. The discussions centered on Iran‘s nuclear program and Washingtonâs sanctions against the country.
Emphasizing the indirect nature of the talks, the statement noted that the Iranian and American delegations were situated in separate halls for the two-and-a-half-hour negotiation, communicating through written messages. At the end of the session, Iran‘s Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Special Envoy to West Asia Steve Witkoff had a brief face-to-face encounter and âexchanged greetings out of courtesyâ as they departed.