Mysterious Masked Man at Khamenei's Funeral Sparks Speculation Over Mojtaba

A man with his face covered by a mask at the funeral of the late Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has become a subject of intense speculation.

According to CNN on July 10 (local time), state television footage from the private funeral ceremony, which was attended only by Khamenei's family and close associates, showed a man wearing a black baseball cap and a mask that obscured most of his face standing among the key attendees.

Locally, rumors have spread that this unidentified man might be the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, in disguise.

Social media has been flooded with posts comparing the man's physique and glasses to those of Mojtaba.

Mojtaba became the Supreme Leader after his father was killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes in late February, but he has not appeared in public for four months.

The Supreme Leader of Iran holds ultimate authority over the military, as well as foreign and security affairs. However, despite the ongoing war, Mojtaba has not delivered any speeches or made public appearances, relying solely on written statements.

This has led to speculation not only that he was seriously injured during the U.S. airstrikes, but even rumors that he may have died.

Experts analyzed that Mojtaba's prolonged absence from the public eye is the reason behind the growing speculation regarding the masked man at the funeral.

Ali Ansari, an Iran expert at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, said, "When a Supreme Leader does not appear in public, there is no way for the public to know what is actually happening," adding, "It is natural for various speculations and conspiracy theories to spread because of this."

In fact, during the mourning period, AI-generated videos and photos claiming that Mojtaba was mingling among ordinary mourners while wearing casual clothes and a black baseball cap circulated on Iranian social media.

Additionally, pro-government figures in Iran claimed that Mojtaba had attended the funeral to mourn his father while concealing his identity.

However, they did not provide any objective evidence that Mojtaba was present at the funeral.

If the new Supreme Leader fails to meet public expectations to appear in person and unite the nation, negative perceptions of Mojtaba could potentially spread.

In particular, experts believe that if Mojtaba continues to remain out of the public eye for an extended period, he may face difficulties in establishing his authority as the Supreme Leader.

Ali Alfoneh, a senior fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, predicted, "While he has inherited the organization and power as the Supreme Leader, it will take at least four to eight years to establish the same level of authority and control as his father."

(Photo: Capture from Iranian state television, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.