Millions Mourn as Iran Bids Farewell to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
News Desk
Tehran: Funeral prayers for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several members of his family were offered in Tehran on Sunday amid a solemn atmosphere, with millions of mourners gathering to pay their final respects.
According to Iran’s official news agency IRNA, the prayers were held at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque and led by senior cleric Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani. Due to the massive turnout and security arrangements, the funeral prayers were conducted in three stages.
The first prayer was offered for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The second covered his daughter Bushra Khamenei, son-in-law Misbah al-Huda Baqeri, and daughter-in-law Zahra Haddad Adel. The third and final prayer was held for his youngest granddaughter, Zahra Mohammadi.
Security was tightened across the capital as mourners filled the mosque and surrounding areas.
According to BBC Persian, following the funeral prayers, chants calling for revenge were heard from the crowd, with participants responding with slogans of “Death to America.”
Khamenei’s sons, Maytham, Massoud and Mustafa Khamenei, were present in the front row during the ceremony. However, his fourth son, Iran’s current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, did not attend because of security concerns, according to reports.
The funeral was attended by senior Iranian political and military officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, and top military commanders.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir also visited Tehran earlier to offer condolences, meet Iranian officials, and express sympathy over the deaths.
Iran’s cultural ambassador to Iraq, Gholam Reza Abazari, said Ayatollah Khamenei’s body will be transported to the Iraqi holy city of Najaf on the evening of July 7. Funeral processions are scheduled to take place in Najaf and Karbala on July 8 before the body returns to Iran.
The final leg of the funeral procession will pass through Tehran and Qom before reaching Mashhad on July 9, where Ayatollah Khamenei will be laid to rest within the shrine complex of Imam Reza (AS).
The Iranian government has declared seven days of national mourning and opened more than 5,000 schools across the country to accommodate millions of mourners expected to travel for the funeral ceremonies. Authorities estimate that up to 20 million people could participate in the final procession in Mashhad.
