Thousands join funeral procession for Ayatollah Khamenei in Tehran

Thousands of mourners flooded the streets of Tehran on Monday as the funeral procession of the martyred Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei began in what Iranian officials described as the largest public gathering in the country’s modern history. The procession commenced at 6am local time from Tehran’s Grand Mosalla religious complex, where the late leader’s body had lain in state for the previous two days. According to organisers, the funeral procession is expected to continue for 10 to 12 hours, traversing a 10-kilometre route through major thoroughfares and landmarks, including Damavand Street, Imam Hussein Square, Enqelab Street and Square, Azadi Street and Square, before concluding near Mehrabad Airport via Shahid Lashgari Highway. On Sunday, Grand Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani led funeral prayers for Ayatollah Khamenei, as well as members of his family, including his son-in-law Dr Mesbah-ul-Hoda Bagheri-Kani, his daughter Zahra Haddad-Adel, his 14-month-old granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi-Golpayegani, and Seyyedeh Bushra Hosseini-Khamenei. Delegations from dozens of countries, including heads of state, prime ministers and senior officials from Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Tajikistan and Turkey, arrived in Tehran on Friday to pay their respects. The funeral ceremonies are scheduled to continue in the holy city of Qom on Tuesday, followed by commemorative processions at the shrines of Imam Ali (AS) in Najaf and Imam Hussein (AS) and Hazrat Abbas (AS) in Karbala on Wednesday. According to officials, Ayatollah Khamenei will be laid to rest on Thursday, July 9, at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad, in accordance with his final wishes.

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