Thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran as the casket of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was put on public display on Saturday as the country began week-long funeral ceremonies. The coffins of several members of his family, who were killed in the February 28 attack were also displayed at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla. These included the casket of the former Supreme Leader’s 14-month-old granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani.
The caskets was first unveiled late on Thursday before crowds of grieving supporters, who were seen weeping, beating their heads in mourning and throwing flowers towards the bier.
Thousands of mourners gathered at the prayer complex as the ceremonies began with the national anthem, religious eulogies and Quran recitations. Television footage showed Khamenei’s coffin draped in the Iranian flag and topped with his black turban. It was placed on a large black platform resembling the Kaaba, alongside four other coffins of slain family members, CNN reported.
The funeral processions across several cities will go on till July 9. The 5-day mourning will be attended by dignitaries from several nations, including India, Pakistan, and China.
On Saturday, an outdoor stage at the Grand Mosalla was designed to resemble the Husseiniyah at Khamenei’s compound in downtown Tehran, where he once delivered speeches.
Khamenei’s body is expected to be taken to the Shi’ite holy cities of Qom in Iran and Najaf and Kerbala in Iraq before being laid to rest on Thursday in Mashhad, home to Iran’s holiest pilgrimage shrine. However, as per various reports, Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtaba, who was also injured in the February 28 attacks, is unlikely to appear in public for the funeral.
The country has paused diplomatic efforts ahead of the funeral. Earlier this week, negotiators from Tehran and Washington travelled to Doha, Qatar, for indirect talks on the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries.
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Meanwhile, Israel’s repeated threats to kill Mojtaba Khamenei prompted Iran’s joint military command on Thursday to warn Israel and the United States “to avoid any miscalculation” in the coming days.
