Iran’s supreme leader Khamenei’s funeral ceremonies begin

Funeral ceremonies for Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei officially commenced on Saturday, with state television reporting a massive turnout. Iranian authorities project that between 15 and 20 million people will participate in tributes in Tehran alone over the next three days, honoring the leader who governed the Islamic Republic for over three decades. Six days of ceremonies are planned to commemorate Khamenei, who led the nation from 1989 until his death at age 86 on February 28, the first day of the US-Israeli war with Iran. These events are particularly significant for any indications regarding Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was named supreme leader a week after his father's death but has yet to make a public appearance. Thousands of mourners, carrying red banners symbolizing vengeance, gathered at Tehran's Grand Mosalla religious complex, chanting "death to America" and "revenge, revenge." A university professor, Reza, told AFP, "We came (to the funeral) because we promised the supreme leader we would stand by him to the very end." Another mourner, Javad Akbari, expressed regret at never having seen the supreme leader up close. Significant security measures are in place, including road closures and expected airspace restrictions, for what is anticipated to be the largest public gathering in Iran since the 1989 burial of Khamenei's predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini. The coffin will lie in state until Monday, followed by a procession through Tehran. The ceremonies will then move to Qom on Tuesday, then to holy Shia Muslim cities in Iraq, before burial on Wednesday in Khamenei's hometown of Mashhad. Officials who survived the war displayed unity and grief on Friday, with the parliament speaker and top negotiators present. The large turnout is intended to serve as a show of strength to the Islamic Republic's adversaries.

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We came (to the funeral) because we promised the supreme leader we would stand by him to the very end.