Millions rally in Iran for funeral of slain leader Khamenei

Vast crowds of Iranians loyal to the Islamic republic massed in Tehran on July 4 to begin almost a week of funeral ceremonies for slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei, which authorities want to send a message of defiance to the West after the war with the United States and Israel. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) Photo by - /AFP via Getty Images

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Iran began a mass funeral for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, in a weeklong ceremony that’s expected to draw millions of mourners and serve as a show of strength for the Islamic Republic.

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The body of Khamenei — who was killed in a U.S. and Israeli attack on the first day of the war in late February — will lie in state at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla mosque complex for public visits over the weekend, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.

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That will be followed by processions in the capital Tehran, the seminary city of Qom, and Najaf and Karbala in neighboring Iraq – holy cities in Shia Islam that are home to major shrines. Khamenei will be buried in his home city of Mashhad on July 9.

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Iranian officials say they expect as many as 20 million people to participate in the event. Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, was named as his successor, but was injured in the attack that killed his father and is yet to be seen in public. It’s unclear whether he will make an appearance at the funeral.

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Large crowds gathered early in the morning in Tehran. Live coverage broadcast by Iranian state television showed the coffins of Khamenei and four family members resting inside glass boxes on a raised platform, each draped in the national flag. Khamenei’s coffin stood elevated above the others, topped with his signature black turban. Among them sat a noticeably smaller coffin belonging to his grandchild, who was killed in the US-Israeli strikes.

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By noon local time, footage showed mourners chanting for revenge and pledging allegiance to Mojtaba Khamenei. In remarks carried by Iranian media on Saturday, Hadi Khamenei, the former supreme leader’s brother, said Iran should seek revenge parallel to holding talks with the U.S. about a permanent end to the war.

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Acknowledging the complexity of the situation, he added, “This was an entirely unprecedented event globally, and it remains unclear how we should deal with the perpetrators.”

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Foreign delegates from countries including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Turkey and Iraq, as well as from Middle East militias allied to Iran, joined a smaller ceremony on Friday.

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Of the Gulf Arab countries, many of which were attacked by Iran during the initial phase of the conflict, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia sent representatives.

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Iran has shut down large parts of the capital to accommodate the proceedings, declaring a three-day public holiday and tightening airspace security for the event.

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Temperatures on Saturday are expected to hit 36C in Tehran and top 40C in Qom, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday.

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The funeral was initially planned for March, amid the height of the fighting with the U.S. and Israel, but was postponed due to expectations of large crowds. Some attacks have continued despite a preliminary deal to end the war last month.

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The revised schedule for Khamenei’s funeral comes after a provisional peace deal with the U.S. signed last month and coincides with the Islamic holy month of Muharram, in which Iran’s Shia-majority population commemorate the death of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.