Thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran on Saturday as Iran officially began funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in a joint US-Israeli strike at the outset of the recent Middle East conflict.
State television reported that authorities expect between 15 and 20 million people to participate in commemorative events in the capital over the next three days, in what officials hope will demonstrate national unity and resilience in the face of external pressure.
The six-day period of mourning honours Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic from 1989 until his death at the age of 86 on February 28, the first day of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Attention has also focused on Khamenei’s son and designated successor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed supreme leader a week after his father’s death but has yet to make a public appearance.
Large crowds carrying red banners assembled at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla religious complex, where Khamenei’s coffin was expected to arrive. Chants of “Death to America” and calls for revenge echoed throughout the gathering.
“We promised the supreme leader that we would stand by him to the very end,” said Reza, a 37-year-old university professor who declined to provide his full name. “For years we declared we would sacrifice our lives for him, but in the end, he sacrificed himself for us.”
Another mourner, 43-year-old factory worker Javad Akbari, said he had come to pay his final respects despite never having met the leader in person.
“I never had the opportunity to see the supreme leader up close, and I regret that,” he said. “Today I have come to bid him farewell.”
An AFP correspondent reported that many mourners walked several kilometres to reach the venue, while supporters had already begun gathering outside the complex on Friday evening.
Extensive security measures have been introduced, including road closures and restrictions on air traffic, as authorities prepare for what could become Iran’s largest public gathering since the funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.
Nationwide Procession Planned
Khamenei’s coffin will remain in Tehran until Monday before a public procession moves through the capital.
The funeral itinerary will then continue to the religious city of Qom on Tuesday, followed by visits to holy sites in Iraq on Wednesday. The supreme leader is scheduled to be buried on Thursday in his birthplace of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.
Senior officials who survived the recent conflict attended memorial events on Friday, including parliament speaker and chief nuclear negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who appeared visibly emotional during the proceedings.
Among those paying their respects was Ahmad Vahidi, recently appointed commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps following the death of his predecessor in the same strikes that killed Khamenei.
Observers are expected to closely monitor the coming ceremonies for any public appearance by Mojtaba Khamenei, who has communicated only through written statements since assuming leadership and is reported to have been injured in the attacks.
Several members of Khamenei’s family who were also killed during the strikes are expected to be buried during the ceremonies, including his infant granddaughter.
Foreign dignitaries attending memorial events included Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, who represented Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Calls for Retaliation Continue
Although active fighting has paused following an initial agreement between Iran and the United States after five weeks of conflict, Iranian officials have warned that the country remains prepared to resume military operations if necessary.
“The nation’s call for vengeance must be heard around the world,” Ghalibaf said, urging citizens to participate in the ceremonies.
Iranian Army Chief Amir Hatami also vowed that Israel and the United States would “pay for the blood of the martyred leader and all the nation’s martyrs.”
Authorities are simultaneously focused on ensuring public safety during the massive gatherings, mindful of the crowd disasters that have affected large public events in the past.
With temperatures in Tehran expected to exceed 35 degrees Celsius in the coming days, water tankers have been deployed to cool roads and provide relief to attendees.
Ahead of the ceremonies, correspondents reported unusually quiet conditions across the Iranian capital, with many of Tehran’s normally congested streets largely free of traffic.