Tehran: Tens of thousands of mourners gathered on the streets of Tehran for the funeral procession of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the opening phase of the recent conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
State television showed large crowds lining the streets as Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin was transported along a 10-kilometre route through the capital, passing the landmark Enghelab Square. The procession followed two days of public mourning at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Mosque.
Three of Khamenei’s sons were seen praying beside his coffin during the lying-in-state ceremony. However, his successor as supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, did not appear in public. Reports indicate he was seriously injured in the same airstrike that killed his father.
Many mourners carried Iranian flags and red banners symbolising vengeance, while some displayed placards condemning the United States and Israel. Demonstrators were also seen throwing stones at a billboard featuring Donald Trump, who, along with Benjamin Netanyahu, had ordered the joint military operation against Iran earlier this year.
Former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attended the procession, marking one of his first major public appearances since the conflict began. Iran’s current president, Masoud Pezeshkian, also joined mourners and paid tribute to Khamenei, describing national unity as Iran’s greatest strength.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Khamenei had been eliminated because he posed a threat to Israel’s existence, warning that any future Iranian leader pursuing similar policies would face the same outcome.
