Funeral Proceedings for Khamenei Begin; Reclusive Iranian Military Leader Makes Appearance

Funeral proceedings for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated by Israel, have effectively begun.

The casket of Ayatollah Khamenei arrived at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, a prayer hall in the Iranian capital of Tehran, on July 3, local time, one day before the official funeral ceremony.

Ayatollah Khamenei was killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike on his residence in Tehran on February 28, the first day of the war between Iran and the United States and Israel.

It is reported that 12 of his family members, including his daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and daughter-in-law, were also killed in the explosion at the time.

At the Mosalla prayer hall today, the caskets of his family members, including a 14-month-old infant, were displayed alongside that of Ayatollah Khamenei.

Ayatollah Khamenei's casket was draped with a flag bearing the inscription "Ya Hussein" (Oh, Hussein!).

Hussein refers to Imam Hussein ibn Ali, the third Imam (leader) of Shia Islam.

The phrase carries the meaning of honoring martyrs and expressing a resolve to resist without compromising with oppression.

High-ranking officials of the Iranian theocratic regime and the bereaved families of those killed in the war with the U.S. and Israel attended the pre-funeral events, where they were seen weeping.

Among the mourners, Ahmad Vahidi, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a representative of Iran's hardliners, drew significant attention.

Photos released by Iranian state media showed him participating in meetings related to the funeral and sitting beside Ayatollah Khamenei's casket.

Commander Vahidi is known to be the figure directing the war against the U.S. and Israel and influencing peace negotiations with the U.S. from behind the scenes.

He had not made a single public appearance throughout the war after filling the vacancy left by his predecessor, who was killed in an explosion on the first day of the conflict.

The official funeral ceremony will begin on July 4.

The public will be able to visit the Mosalla prayer hall from July 4 to 5 to pay their respects beside the body of Ayatollah Khamenei.

Ayatollah Khamenei's body will be taken to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq before being interred at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, northeastern Iran, on July 9.

Police and the Mayor of Tehran estimated that the number of mourners in Tehran alone could reach 18 to 20 million.

Authorities project that the total number of people gathering across Iran and at the holy sites in Iraq could reach 35 million.

It remains unclear whether Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ayatollah Khamenei and the current Supreme Leader, will attend the funeral.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.