Pezeshkian Travels to Iraq for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Funeral Procession

A mass funeral procession for Iran’s martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, drew global attention as Tehran’s streets filled with mourners and the capital saw a complete shutdown, with coffins of Khamenei and family members carried on a truck decorated in the style of the shrines of the Imams.

The Associated Press reported that diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran on the security of the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear issues had been suspended until after the ceremonies, while France 24 compared the funeral to the historic farewell for Imam Khomeini and CNN described Tehran’s streets as filled with crowds.

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The Guardian reported from Tehran that the procession stretched from Enghelab Square to Azadi Square, with mourners carrying Iranian flags, portraits of the late Leader, and banners bearing the slogan "We Will Rise," while roads leading to the procession were packed from the early hours of the day.

Al Jazeera, broadcasting live from Tehran, highlighted the presence of hundreds of thousands of mourners and emphasized the continuity and stability of Iran’s political system following the assassination of the Leader and the orderly transfer of authority.

Turkey’s Anadolu Agency reported that the body of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was carried through Tehran’s streets at the start of Monday’s funeral procession, attended by large numbers paying their respects.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to travel to Iraq on Tuesday to participate in the funeral procession for Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, with ceremonies scheduled to be held on Wednesday in Karbala and Najaf.

IRNA said the funeral procession for the martyred Leader along with his daughter, Martyr Bushra Hosseini Khamenei; his son-in-law, Martyr Mesbah al-Hoda Bagheri; his daughter-in-law, Martyr Zahra Haddad-Adel; and his granddaughter, Martyr Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani, began in the capital of Iran on Monday morning.

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IRNA also stated that a special funeral ceremony for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution would be held on Wednesday in Najaf and Karbala, and that the body would be laid to rest in Imam Reza (PBUH) Holy Shrine in Mashhad on Thursday.

ANI reported Pezeshkian told a state broadcaster that the funeral ceremonies were not a farewell but a "pledge to continue his path," adding, "I do not accept the interpretation of 'farewell.'"

The BBC reported that Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was conspicuously absent from his father’s funeral, while senior officials including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Revolutionary Guards chief Ahmad Vahidi attended, and it said Khamenei’s body was lying in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla.

As funeral ceremonies for Khamenei and members of his family continued across Iran, the BBC said events were planned across Iran and Iraq over the coming week, with Khamenei’s body moved out of the Grand Mosalla ahead of a procession through the capital on Monday.

The BBC reported that Iranian authorities say 12-20 million people are expected to attend the ceremonies, which they are calling the "funeral of the century," and it said strict security measures were imposed with official media warned of a risk of crowd crushes.

Reuters coverage of the Tehran mourning included a mourner, Zahra Safaei, 50, telling Reuters, "We did not make a revolution 47 years ago to shed fake tears," while the Associated Press and Guardian reported people calling for US President Donald Trump’s death on Sunday.

In Iraq, the funeral schedule described by IRNA placed the ceremonies in Karbala and Najaf on Wednesday, with the final burial in Mashhad at the Imam Reza (PBUH) Holy Shrine on Thursday.

The BBC also said the coffin would be moved to Qom on Tuesday after the processions through Tehran on Monday, and that the funeral service was led by prominent Shia cleric Jafar Sobhani, a 97-year-old scholar who teaches at seminaries in the holy city of Qom.