The report indicates that Iranian authorities are prepared for about 3,000 deaths as Khamenei’s funeral begins
Iranian authorities are making a show of force during the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, but behind the scenes, officials are preparing for up to 3,000 deaths, according to German magazine WELT.The report, written by an anonymous journalist in Tehran, said a secret message from the Iranian Red Crescent and the National Crisis Management Organization to First Vice President Mohammad Reza Arif predicted between 1,500 and 3,000 possible deaths. Officials have set up a special unit to deal with the dead and missing, while thousands of new graves have been dug at the Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery in Tehran.“Prepared graves already exist,” An employee in the Tehran municipality said.
“Officials were told that as many as 3,000 dead would be fine. With such a large crowd and such intense heat, no one knows what will happen.”
The funeral ceremony began in Tehran on Saturday and will travel through the city of Qom and the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala, ending in Mashhad, where Khamenei is scheduled to be buried on Thursday. Officials spoke of as many as 20 million participants, a number often used to indicate public support but difficult to verify.
A large-scale security and logistical operation is now underway
The authorities have drawn up a detailed security and logistical plan, including restrictions on movement, potential disruption of air travel, thousands of buses, temporary kitchens, and the use of schools and mosques to house participants.The Tehran Municipality, run by the hard-line mayor, Ali Reza Zakani, deploys 11,000 buses and keeps the metro and express bus lines free and running around the clock. The equivalent of about 500,000 to 650,000 euros has been allocated to each district in Tehran for the three-day celebrations.Government-linked journalists cited by WELT estimated Tehran’s total budget at around 15 million euros, plus another five million euros each for Qom and Mashhad. With additional ceremonies being held in Najaf and Karbala, the funeral could become one of the most expensive official burials in modern history.
Past funeral disasters raise concern
Iran has a troubled history with large funerals. At least 56 people were killed and more than 200 injured during the 2020 funeral of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Commander Qassem Soleimani in Kerman.
The funeral of Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989 also turned into chaos, killing at least eight people and wounding hundreds.WELT also reported there were deep political tensions around the celebrations, with hard-line supporters using the nighttime gatherings to denounce the US-Iranian memorandum and threaten senior officials involved in the negotiations, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf.Some attendees called for the war to continue in retaliation for Khamenei’s killing, while online videos show hard-line religious speakers giving hard-line speeches, some with rifles in their hands.The funeral is taking place amid growing public frustration over the cost of ceremonies, economic difficulties and the government’s use of state resources for political grandstanding.