Hamas and Hezbollah Delegations Attend Ali Khamenei Funeral Rites in Tehran

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s funeral rites began in Tehran on Saturday (July 4), with his body lying in state at the start of ceremonies expected to last a week.

DW said delegations from Tehran-backed movements and organizations including Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon participated as large crowds poured into the Iranian capital to bid farewell.

Al Jazeera

DW also described the funeral as taking place at the Grand Mosque Complex in Tehran with ceremonies continuing through Monday, while the Iranian government declared Sunday a public holiday and urged citizens to participate in large numbers.

DW reported that Khamenei, 86, was said to have been killed in American-Israeli strikes on February 28, according to the Iranian account, an event that led to a broad regional escalation.

The IRNA account carried by ای‌رنا said Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi told attendees that the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution always wanted Iran to be “cherished, proud, and steadfast.”

DW reported that delegations from Hamas and Hezbollah met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, with the Hamas delegation including Mohammed Darwish and the Hezbollah delegation led by former Lebanese minister Mohammed Fneish.

DW also said the secretary-general of Islamic Jihad Ziyad al-Nakhala and the senior Houthi official Dayf Allah al-Shami participated in the ceremonies, while official Iranian media said representatives of Iran’s regional allies attended the funeral.

Al-Jazeera Net

The IRNA account said Araqchi described the “three fundamental principles governing the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, namely dignity, wisdom, and expediency,” as formed under the late Leader’s prudence and guidance.

شبکه العالم reported that Araqchi personally oversaw welcoming foreign delegations at Tehran’s airport and then transported guests to the Imam Khomeini Shrine to pay respects.

شبکه العالم also cited a Foreign Ministry spokesperson saying it was expected that ultimately official, political and religious figures from about 100 countries would attend the ceremony, with representatives from about 40 countries participating as official delegations.

DW said the funeral came at a pivotal moment for the leadership of the Islamic Republic, with the country eager to project unity and resilience after hard challenges including the twelve-day war with Israel in June and the US-Israeli war currently in a ceasefire.

DW reported speculation about whether Mojtaba Khamenei, Ali Khamenei’s son who was injured in the war, would appear, noting he has not appeared publicly since the start of the war and was elected Supreme Leader in March.

افغانستان اینترنشنال said the Islamic Republic invited the Taliban and its opponents to attend Ali Khamenei’s funeral procession, naming Ahmad Massoud and Mohammad Mohaqiq among the figures invited.

افغانستان اینترنشنال reported that Abdul Ghani Baradar and Amir Khan Muttaqi traveled to Tehran on Thursday and met with Abbas Araghchi, while the details of the meeting were not released.

The IRNA account said the farewell ceremony, funeral, funeral prayer, and burial were planned for Saturday, Tir 13 and Sunday, Tir 14, 1405 at Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran, with Monday Tir 15 in Tehran and Tuesday Tir 16 in Qom, and finally Thursday Tir 18 for the funeral in Mashhad and burial at the shrine of Imam Reza.