Hundreds of thousands of Iranians gathered on Saturday at the large prayer complex in Tehran, where the funeral ceremony for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reportedly began.
The ceremony opened with the national anthem, prayers, and Quran recitations, while television footage showed Khamenei’s coffin draped in the Iranian flag and covered with his black turban.
Khamenei, who led Iran for 37 years, was reportedly killed in February during the first airstrike in the war launched by the United States and Israel. Alongside his coffin, four additional coffins said to contain members of his family were placed on a large black platform.
The courtyard of the Grand Imam Khomeini Mosque was filled with citizens, many of whom waved Iranian flags and carried photographs of the slain leader.
According to the state broadcaster Seda va Sima, chants of “Death to America” were heard during the ceremony. Iranian media also reported calls for revenge from those in attendance.
Khamenei’s body is expected to be taken to Qom, Najaf, and Karbala—important Shiite centers in Iran and Iraq—before being buried on Thursday in Mashhad.
Iranian authorities have reportedly announced the mobilization of millions of citizens in the coming days, providing transport, food, and accommodation for participants in the funeral ceremonies.
