Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei will not attend the funeral ceremonies for his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, due to security concerns, according to Ayatollah Hakim Elahi, the current leader’s representative in India. As quoted by news agency ANI, Elahi said the decision was prompted by Israeli threats and surveillance concerns that would make any public appearance dangerous.The development comes amid renewed tensions between Iran, Israel and the US. On Wednesday, Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi issued a sharp warning to Washington after Israeli defence minister Israel Katz reportedly said that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was “marked for death.”According to reports, Mojtaba Khamenei was also absent from the funeral of his wife, Zahra Haddad-Adel, who was killed in the February 28 US-Israeli airstrike that also claimed the life of his father, longest-serving Iranian leader and global Shia icon Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at the latter’s residence.In a post on X, Araghchi said the US had committed itself under the terms of the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that ended hostilities in Middle East, including restraining Israel. He warned that any threat against Iran’s leadership would draw an immediate response.”The terms of the Islamabad MoU are crystal clear and public for all to see. POTUS has committed the US to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv. If they ignore their master, Iran will school them. Any threat against our People and Leadership will receive Immediate Powerful Response,” Araghchi said in the post while sharing the text of Katz’s reported remarks.According to the report shared by Araghchi, Katz said on Monday that Iran’s Supreme Leader was “marked for death.” He also described Iranians as “good merchants,” accused Tehran of trying to extract concessions during negotiations, and reiterated that Israel would not allow Iran to develop nuclear weapons.”If they do it through an agreement, all the better,” Katz said, according to the text shared by Araghchi.Meanwhile, diplomatic efforts continued in Doha. On July 1, Qatar and Pakistan held separate meetings with US and Iranian negotiators, with “positive progress” reported on issues related to the 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).In a post on X, Majed Al Ansari, adviser to Qatar’s prime minister and official spokesperson for the ministry of foreign affairs, said the parties had agreed to continue discussions, with the next meeting to be scheduled at the earliest possible time after the funeral processions of the former Iranian Supreme Leader.Iranian authorities are holding funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei from July 4 to July 9 across locations in Iran and Iraq. The longest-serving Iranian leader Khamenei was killed in an airstrike on February 28 in Donald Trump’s Operation Epic Fury, the opening day of the US-Israel war with Iran.
