Several hundred people were waiting on Friday evening outside the funeral of the slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei before it opened to the public on Saturday morning.Khamenei is scheduled to lie in state in Tehran’s Grand Religious Prayer Complex until Monday, with doors scheduled to open at 6 a.m. local time (0230 GMT).
Khamenei lies in state in Iran as the funeral week begins
Dubai: The body of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei lay in state in a spacious hall in Tehran on Friday as clerics, officials, foreign dignitaries and other mourners paid their respects to the late Iranian supreme leader who was killed by US and Israeli bombs. For a week, Iran has been organizing mass funeral processions for Khamenei, whose 37-year rule ended in February, in a show of public devotion to the Islamic Republic’s theocratic state and revolutionary fervor.His body is expected to be transported to Qom, Najaf and Karbala, the major Shiite centers in Iran and Iraq, before being buried on July 9 in Mashhad, home to the holiest shrine for pilgrims in the country.His casket was unveiled late Thursday in front of a crowd of supporters who sobbed, swayed and beat their heads in time to lamentable tunes while flowers were thrown from the casket into the crowd. On Friday, the casket – and of family members who were also killed in the same attack – was placed in the grand prayer hall built to honor his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The funeral takes place at a critical moment for Iran, as religious rulers backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps look to survive what they see as an existential war against their most powerful enemies. Analysts say support for the religious leadership is minimal, and the new supreme leader, Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared in any new photos since he was injured in a strike.The streets of Tehran were under tight surveillance on Friday, with security cars lining main roads and police and black-shirted members of Iranian volunteers warning the United States and Israel of any attacks during the funeral.A black turban worn by clerics who claim descent from the Islamic prophet Muhammad was placed on the coffin over a folded checkered scarf, a symbol in Iran of revolutionary ideals and solidarity with the Palestinians.In central Tehran during the night, a crowd of people stood wailing and cheering. “God willing, only by avenging his blood, demanding justice, and ensuring that the blood of our leader is not left unavenged, can this grief of the people be alleviated,” said Mobina Razagi, an 18-year-old student, who attended the funeral. Agencies