Iran has began a funeral procession through its capital, Tehran, for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
With hundreds of thousands of people attending, organisers expect the procession to last 10 to 12 hours. According to state-run television, the funeral cortege will follow a 10km (6.2-mile) route along Damavand Street, Imam Hussein Square, Enqelab Street, Enqelab Square, Azadi Street, Azadi Square and Shahid Lashgari Highway near Mehrabad International Airport.
Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin, and those of his family killed February 28 in an airstrike at the start of the war launched by Israel and the United States, sat on board a truck. Authorities decorated the truck’s side to resemble the ornamental grating that surrounds the shrine of an imam.
The truck moved through crowds of black-clad mourners, who reached out to touch the grating. Some threw scarves and other items for attendants to brush against the coffin, a common practice in Iran seen as a blessing.
Revolutionary Guard General Hasan Hasanzsdeh, who is overseeing the procession, said that the coffins will be taken through the streets of Tehran on their way to Mehrabad International Airport over a 12-hour journey.
Authorities have shut down streets, airspace and daily life for the mourning, which began on Saturday and will end on Thursday as the 86-year-old Khamenei is buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace.
As the funeral has gone on, however, there’s increasingly been threats from mourners to avenge Khamenei’s death. Mourners and the signs they carry have called for the killing of both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Such signs were seen again today along the procession’s route, with one effigy of Trump being hanged.
Mourners at the funeral of Iran’s former Supreme Leader have prominently displayed red banners and flags, a potent Shia symbol demanding vengeance for the blood of the slain leader. The red flags, bearing slogans such as “Ya Latharat al-Hussein” (O Avengers of Hussein) and the newly coined “Ya Latharat al-Khamenei” (O Avengers of Khamenei), were seen across Tehran’s Grand Mosalla.
The latter phrase fuses the momourning of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, whose killing at Karbala in 680 AD is central to Shia identity and commemorated annually as a symbol of resistance against oppression and tyranny.
The “Ya Latharat al-Hussein” cry has historically been used to rally Shia fighters for retribution, and its adaptation to Khamenei’s name signals a direct call for revenge against those who killed him.
In remarks that echo Iranian mourners’ call for revenge over the Supreme Leader’s assassination by the US and Israel, the Iranian army Chief, Major General Amir Hatami, pledged to never abandon the quest for justice.
“Those who committed this crime must know that the nation of Iran and all of us will never cease in our pursuit of and demand for justice.
“We will not let go of them, and this is a definitive decision that we will follow through until we achieve results.”
Major General Amir Hatami
Measures To Ensure Crowd Safety Amid Heat
With temperatures remaining high during the summer season, officials took steps to reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses among participants.
Attendants sprayed misted water across the crowds to cool them in the summertime temperatures. Authorities appeared concerned about the dangers of having a large crowd alongside the procession, with officials on loudspeakers urging the public to walk slowly, not to push and to stay to the edges of the street.
Emergency medical teams, security personnel and volunteers were deployed throughout the procession to assist participants and monitor public safety. Officials appeared particularly focused on preventing crowd surges, given the large number of people attending the ceremony.
Iran’s theocracy plans to see large crowds attend the ceremony across the city to show popular support for the government
Security measures across Tehran were significantly increased ahead of the procession. Police officers and security forces established checkpoints, managed road closures and redirected traffic to facilitate the movement of mourners. Public transport services were also adjusted to accommodate the unusually high number of people travelling into the city.
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