Chants of “Death to America” echo as the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei begins (AFP)
Chants of “Death to America,” “Death to Israel” and “Revenge, revenge” echoed in Tehran’s Grand Mosque on Saturday as thousands of mourners gathered for the start of a six-day public funeral for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Agence France-Presse reported that mourners carried red banners, a symbol associated with calls for revenge, and filled the vast religious complex. Iranian authorities estimate that between 15 and 20 million people will participate in the celebrations in Tehran over the next three days.
The funeral marks the beginning of a week-long farewell to Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic from 1989 until his death at the age of 86 after he was killed in US-Israeli raids on February 28.
The casket will remain in good condition until Monday, when a procession moves through Tehran before continuing on to Qom on Tuesday, the holy Shiite cities of Iraq such as Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf on Wednesday, and finally Mashhad on Thursday, where he will be buried.Tight security measures have been deployed for what is expected to be the largest public gathering in Iran since the funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. Roads have been closed, airspace is expected to be closed, and authorities have deployed water tankers along main roads as temperatures are expected to exceed 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).
Senior Iranian leaders, including Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, attended the opening ceremony alongside prominent international figures such as Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev. Representatives of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Afghan Taliban government also attended the meeting. The ceremony is also being closely monitored in anticipation of a possible public appearance by Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son and designated successor, who has not appeared in public since his father’s death.