Top Iranian officials paying their respects included Ahmad Vahidi, who was named chief of the Revolutionary Guards after his predecessor was killed in the same strikes that killed Khamenei but had not been seen since.
The coming days will be closely watched for signs of Mojtaba Khamenei, who has communicated only by written statements and is said to have been wounded in the same strikes, though the extent of his injuries was never made clear.
Other relatives killed in the attacks will also be buried, including Ali Khamenei’s infant granddaughter.
International guests paying respects on Friday included Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has been mediating between Iran and the US, and Russian ex-president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy head of the Russian security council, who attended on behalf of President Vladimir Putin.
Palestinian resistance group Hamas and Lebanese group Hezbollah were also represented, as was the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
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‘Call for vengeance’
After five weeks of fighting, the Middle East conflict is on hold following an initial Pakistan-mediated accord between Iran and the US. But Iranian officials have warned Tehran is ready to resume fighting if needed.
“The nation’s call for vengeance must ring in the ears of the whole world,” said Ghalibaf, who urged Iranians to turn out en masse.
Army chief Amir Hatami vowed Israel and the US “will pay for the blood of the martyred leader and all the nation’s martyrs”.
But authorities will also want the event to go smoothly, deeply aware of the risk of crowd crushes, which have marred similar events in the past, with TV broadcasting guidelines on how to stay safe.
With temperatures well over 35 degrees Celsius expected over the next few days in Tehran, tankers were stationed to spray water on the roads to cool down attendees.
Ahead of the ceremonies, AFP correspondents reported that Tehran was quieter than usual, with many normally busy streets free of Tehran’s notorious traffic.
