ALBAWABA - A number of videos have been circulating on social media this week, claiming to show Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei attending the funeral of his father, the former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. However, no evidence of his presence at the funeral was uncovered following an examination.
The video, which has been viewed millions of times on Instagram, TikTok, X and other sites, was posted by accounts alleging it showed Mojtaba Khamenei’s first public appearance since he took Iran’s top leadership role. Posts said he went to the burial with substantial security presence to prevent a possible assassination attempt.
The videos showed a man standing among a small number of mourners while accompanied by security agents, fueling online speculation the individual was Iran’s next supreme leader. Other images displayed cardboard cutouts of Mojtaba Khamenei being carried by mourners, which were said to be symbolic representations of his presence at the funeral.
But an examination by Al Jazeera’s Open Source Unit found the viral claims to be false. Investigators traced the video back to its original upload on Instagram before it was cut, repackaged and widely shared by pro-Iran accounts with narration, visual effects and captions made to appear as official news coverage.
Another cinematographer who filmed the burial also disputed Mojtaba Khamenei was in the viral footage, saying the person featured was another photographer who looked very similar to him. Similarly, Iranian state media gave no sign that the new supreme leader would attend the festivities, but the multi-day funeral was widely covered.
But verified videos showed three of Ali Khamenei’s other sons joining senior Iranian officials at the funeral procession, and Mojtaba Khamenei was nowhere to be seen in public. His absence was likely due to increased security concerns following the unrest that broke out after his father's death, analysts quoted in the newspaper said.
