Thousands of mourners entered Tehran’s Grand Mosalla on Saturday for funeral rites of Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, AFP journalists reported, ahead of the official start.
The main courtyard of the sprawling complex was crowded as authorities enforced sweeping traffic curbs across the capital. Another AFP correspondent saw mourners walking several kilometres to reach the venue.
The remains of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei were transported to Grand Mosalla in the capital on Friday as the nation prepares for a final farewell following his death in US-Israeli air strikes.
The assassination of the 86-year-old leader, a central figure for Shias globally, sparked a broader conflict in Middle East that is currently paused under a tenuous ceasefire agreement between Tehran and Washington, reports AFP.
The official state funeral is projected to be the most significant in the history of the Islamic Republic, with officials estimating an attendance of between 15 and 20 million mourners.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the speaker of the Iranian Parliament and lead negotiator, has urged a massive public presence to “write a glorious page” in the country’s history and ensure the “nation’s call for vengeance” is heard globally.
Footage from Grand Mosalla showed the leader’s casket, draped in the national tricolour, being moved into the venue. At a preliminary service, the coffin was positioned amidst a display of red flowers and white butterflies.
The site, one of the most prominent for state ceremonies, has been decorated with large banners featuring the late leader’s images and notable quotations.
Khamenei’s body will lie in state for a three-day period. Notably, Ahmad Vahidi, the commander of Revolutionary Guards, made his first public appearance since the outbreak of hostilities in February to pay respect.
However, it remains uncertain whether the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son, will attend Tehran ceremony, as he has not appeared in public since his succession.
