The New York Times cited two Revolutionary Guard members and individuals involved in the preparations, stating that Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba, wished to attend the funeral of his father, Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with his wife and daughters, but was denied by Iranian security officials.
Mojtaba had hoped to lead prayers at his father’s funeral on July 9 in Mashhad. Leading prayers means delivering a speech as the main speaker during a large-scale religious gathering.
After assessment, Iranian security officials rejected his request, fearing that Israel might exploit his public appearance to assassinate him or pinpoint his location.
Even now, more than four months after the U.S. and Israel killed his father, mother, and wife, the risk remains unmitigated.
Israel shows no respect for funerals. They have already demonstrated their willingness to attack densely populated civilian areas in order to eliminate a single target.
Iranians believe that even the funeral of Khamenei would not be an exception.
It is less about fear of death than a deep-seated understanding of Israel’s bloodthirsty nature.
During today’s public memorial ceremony, red flags—rarely seen at ordinary gatherings—were prominently displayed. In Shia Islam, red symbolizes courage and sacrifice, representing blood and the principle of “blood for blood.”
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869790546186240/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.