Hyderabad, July 12 -- Iran has announced a memorial ceremony for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran next week, with attention focused on whether his successor, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, will make his first public appearance since taking office.

According to an official notice, the ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, July 23, from 5 pm to 7 pm. The event has been described as a tribute to the "martyred mujahid Imam", but Iranian authorities have not confirmed whether Mojtaba Khamenei will be present.

Funeral absence fuelled speculation

Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since succeeding his father after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes in late February.

The six-day funera...