Iran Bids Farewell to Khamenei: State Leaders Pay Last Respects, Funeral Procession Extends to Iraq

The Iranian capital, Tehran, witnessed today, Friday, the start of the official ceremonies to bid farewell to the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, where Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian paid his last respects to the body. Pezeshkian appeared in footage broadcast by official sources, standing in front of the coffin on which the black turban was placed, in the presence of senior state officials, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

First-tier leaders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard participated in the memorial service, in what was the first appearance for some of them since the outbreak of direct military confrontation with the United States and Israel. Among those present was the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, Ahmed Vahidi, who was seen sitting next to the coffin during an organizational meeting dedicated to the arrangements for the national funeral, which will last for several days.

Ahmed Vahidi is considered one of the prominent figures who have recently dominated the military scene, having assumed command of the Revolutionary Guard after Mohammad Bakpour, who died in airstrikes on the first day of the war. Vahidi, who previously served as the commander of the Quds Force, is currently overseeing the complex security and logistical arrangements for the funeral ceremonies, which are expected to attract millions of mourners.

According to the announced schedule, the official farewell ceremonies for international delegations have already begun, with public viewing scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the Imam Khomeini Musalla in Tehran. Official estimates indicate the potential participation of representatives from about 100 countries, with expectations of a human influx ranging from 15 to 20 million mourners from various Iranian provinces.

The funeral procession is scheduled to move next Tuesday to the city of Qom, before the body travels across the border on Wednesday to the cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq to visit the holy shrines. The ceremonies will conclude on Thursday, July 9, in the city of Mashhad, the birthplace of the late Leader, where he will be laid to rest in the shrine of Imam Reza.

Iranian authorities have taken strict security and sovereign measures coinciding with the event, including a partial closure of the airspace over Tehran, which will become complete next Monday. It was also decided to suspend work in public and private offices in the capital for three days, to enable citizens to participate in bidding farewell to the leader who was assassinated in an attack on his residential headquarters.

In the context of political arrangements, this funeral comes after the election by the Assembly of Experts of Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Leader, as his father's successor in leading the country. These changes coincide with sharp statements made by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in which he affirmed that calls for retaliation for the assassination must reach all parts of the world.

The nation's call for revenge must echo throughout the world.