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Journalist recounts covering Supreme Leader Khamenei's funeral procession in Iran

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • A journalist recounts his experience covering the funeral procession of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
  • The journey involved travel from Jakarta to Tehran and then to Qom.
  • The journalist describes the immense crowds and fervent atmosphere during the event in Qom.

An Indonesian journalist for Republika shares his personal account of covering the funeral procession for Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The journey, spanning July 3-9, 2026, took him from Jakarta to Tehran and then to the holy city of Qom.

He describes the logistical challenges, including delayed departures, but expresses gratitude for the opportunity, extended by the Iranian Embassy in Jakarta and Bayan Media in Tehran. The journalist aimed to provide close coverage for his readers, a promise he felt he fulfilled upon arriving in Tehran.

A particularly vivid memory is witnessing and capturing the moment Khamenei's coffin was paraded through a sea of people after prayers at Jamkaran Mosque in Qom. From a precarious vantage point on an unfinished building's balcony, he obtained a prime view, contrasting with other journalists and influencers positioned elsewhere.

The journalist likens the overnight journey from Tehran to Qom to the Jakarta-Bandung route, a roughly three-hour trip on a highway. Arriving around 3:30 AM, he found a massive crowd already gathered at Masjid Jamkaran, despite the funeral prayer not scheduled until 6:00 AM. An Indonesian diaspora member living in Qom described the city as being on a "different level" that day, with people from across Iran converging to pay their respects under the intense heat.

Qom is on a different level that day.

— Indonesian diaspora member in QomDescribing the atmosphere in the city during the funeral procession.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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