Iranian security officials have rejected Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s request to attend the burial of his slain father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, because they fear Israel will kill the son or track him back to his hiding spot, The New York Times reported Saturday.

Mojtaba Khamenei seeks to attend his father’s July 9 burial in Mashhad and perform funeral rites, but has so far been refused, the Times said, citing two unnamed Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members and a person involved with planning the multi-day funeral that began on Saturday.

Khamenei has not been seen in public since he was injured, and his father, wife, and son were killed in the opening strikes of the US-Israeli bombing campaign in Iran on February 28. According to the Times, he was absent from a memorial for his wife in Tehran on Wednesday.

Four senior Iranian officials cited by the Times said Khamenei’s continued absence from the public eye has triggered concern about the sustainability of his rule.

While a written statement attributed to Khamenei okayed negotiations with the US, hardline Iranian conservatives have vowed to resist diplomacy until he appears in public or produces a voice recording, the Times said.

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© The Times of Israel