Massive crowds gather in Tehran for Khamenei funeral ceremonies

WEB DESK: Thousands of mourners carrying red banners gathered at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla religious complex on Saturday as the official six-day funeral ceremonies for Iran’s assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei got underway.

The event, which state media is framing as a ‘massive show of strength’ to the Islamic republic’s adversaries, marked the beginning of a week-long mourning period.

Iranian authorities have stated that they anticipate between 15 and 20 million participants in the capital alone over the next three days to pay tribute to the man who helmed the country for more than 35 years, according to AP.

Khamenei, who ruled as Iran’s top leader since 1989, was killed at the age of 86 alongside several relatives, including his infant granddaughter, during a joint US-Israeli strike on the opening day of the Middle East conflict on February 28.

Tight security and calls for vengeance

Echoes of “death to America” and “revenge, revenge” reverberated through the vast complex as mourners walked several kilometres through blocked roads to reach the venue.

Significant security measures have been deployed across Tehran, with major thoroughfares closed and airspace restrictions expected for what is anticipated to be Iran’s largest public gathering since the burial of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.

The atmosphere among attendees was one of fierce loyalty and grief. Speaking to reporters, a university professor noted that the public had gathered to stand by the leader until the very end, while others expressed deep regret at never having seen him up close during his lifetime.

Due to scorching summer temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, municipal authorities stationed water tankers to spray the streets and cool down the dense crowds.

Top military and political figures who survived the war made public appearances to demonstrate a unified front.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, visibly tearful, declared that the “nation’s call for vengeance must ring in the ears of the whole world,” while Army Chief Amir Hatami vowed that the US and Israel would pay heavily for the spilled blood of the martyred leader.

Successor under scrutiny and international presence

The unfolding ceremonies are being closely monitored by international observers for any public appearance of Khamenei’s son and successor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.

Named supreme leader a week after his father’s assassination, Mojtaba has not yet appeared in public, having communicated solely through written statements amidst reports that he was wounded in the same strikes.

Friday also saw a significant influx of international dignitaries arriving in Tehran to pay their respects. Among the high-profile guests was Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose government has been actively mediating between Washington and Tehran to sustain the current pause in the five-week-long conflict.

Russian ex-president Dmitry Medvedev also attended on behalf of President Vladimir Putin, alongside representatives from regional allies including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

According to the official itinerary, Khamenei’s coffin will lie in state in Tehran until Monday before a formal procession moves through the capital.

The casket will then be transported to the clerical hub of Qom on Tuesday, followed by a journey to Shiite holy cities in neighbouring Iraq on Wednesday, before final burial rites take place on Thursday in his home city of Mashhad.