Iran has begun six days of funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, more than four months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike at the start of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Huge crowds of mourners gathered before dawn on Saturday at the Grand Mosalla mosque in Tehran, where Khamenei’s coffin was placed on a raised platform alongside the coffins of members of his family who were also killed in the 28 February attack.
The funeral marks the start of a nationwide mourning period. More than 10 million people, including representatives from more than 100 countries, are expected in Tehran for the funeral.
Foreign representatives reportedly came from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, Russia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Iraq, Uzbekistan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Belarus, Egypt, Namibia, Nicaragua, Serbia, Malaysia, and several other countries.
Ceremonies will continue across Iran before Khamenei’s body is taken to the Iraqi Shia holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.
Crowds entered the mosque from the early hours of Saturday after waiting overnight outside the gates. Men and women were separated into different sections of the vast prayer complex, while mourners carried Iranian flags, portraits of Khamenei and banners calling for revenge.
Many participants beat their chests in mourning, a traditional practice at Shiite funerals, while chants of “Death to America” and calls for revenge echoed through the gathering.
Iranian officials expect attendance to reach as many as 30 million people over the course of the ceremonies.
Khamenei was killed by Israeli fighter jets’ direct targeting of his residence with multiple bombs in Tehran on 28 February, an attack that also killed several members of his family, including his daughter, his daughter-in-law, and his 14-month-old granddaughter.
His son and successor, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, was injured in the same strike. Since being appointed by Iran’s Assembly of Experts in March, he has not appeared in public and has issued only written statements. It remains unclear whether he will attend any part of his father’s funeral.
The ceremony comes as tensions remain high despite a ceasefire agreed after the conflict.
Earlier this week, Iran’s joint military command warned Israel and the United States against what it described as any “miscalculation” during the funeral period after Israeli officials repeated threats against Mojtaba Khamenei.
Iran also chose 4 July, the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, as the opening day of the funeral ceremonies. Iranian authorities did not comment on the timing.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the nation will seek justice against the US and Israel, as a funeral ceremony for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is under way in Tehran.
Roads around central Tehran have been closed, while parts of the capital’s airspace and daily public activities have been restricted to accommodate the ceremonies.
HT