Iran Buries Its Killed Supreme Leader as the Succession Stays Unsettled

On the second day of public mourning for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in February, there was still no sign of his son Mojtaba Khamenei, The New York Times reported. Three of the late leader's sons appeared at the funeral, but not the successor widely expected to inherit the role, according to The Japan Times, which said Mojtaba is reported to have been injured in the February 28 attack that killed his father.

The ceremonies had a strong political tone. A eulogist called for the death of President Trump, Euronews reported, and crowds chanted for revenge. Israeli business daily Globes described a widening rift at the top of the Iranian system, reporting that Mojtaba has been unable to take control of the succession dispute and may soon signal his intentions.

The competing accounts agree on the central fact, an unresolved transfer of power at the head of a major oil state, and differ on what it means. Iranian outlets emphasize the national unity displayed at the funerals, while Israeli and Western reporting stresses instability and factional conflict inside the leadership.

For markets, the immediate question is continuity. A contested succession in Tehran is directly connected to the fragile US-Iran truce and the reopening of Hormuz shipping that has helped pull oil lower.