Who Was the Masked Man at Khamenei's Funeral? Report Ends Speculation

A masked man seen leading prayers at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral was mistaken for his son Mojtaba, but has now been identified as his grandson, Mohammad Javad Khamenei.

A figure in a black mask stood front and center at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral in Iran, sparking widespread speculation online that his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, had finally made a rare public appearance. That theory turned out to be wrong, according to a report from the New York Post.

The masked man, spotted wearing a baseball cap alongside the covering and helping lead prayers in the front row, was identified by Iran International as Mohammad Javad Khamenei, the eldest grandson of the slain supreme leader, not Mojtaba himself.

The confusion makes some sense given what Javad Khamenei has been through. He suffered severe injuries, including significant burns to his face, during the same February 28 airstrikes carried out by the US and Israel that killed his grandfather, Ali Khamenei, at age 86. Those same strikes also left Mojtaba Khamenei disfigured, according to US intelligence assessments cited in the report.

As for his place in the family tree, Javad Khamenei is the son of Mostafa Khamenei, Ali Khamenei’s eldest son, who was born around 1965, Iran International reported.

“Orders have already been given, and the U.S. Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran – PRAISE BE TO ALLAH!,” he added.