A six-day state funeral of the former Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, began in Tehran today, drawing hundreds of thousands of mourners who gathered to pay their final respects to Iran’s late leader. Mourners offered prayers at the sight of Khamenei’s coffin alongside those of his family members also killed in the airstrike.
Senior Iranian leaders, military commanders and foreign dignitaries paid their respects to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla. Among those present were President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi.
India was represented by Governor of Bihar Lt. General Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita. In a social media post, Mr Margherita said, they conveyed respect on behalf of the Government and the people of India. They also extended condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the recent conflict.
Among other Foreign dignitaries included former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, senior Chinese representative He Wei, Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and delegations from several countries. The funeral comes after Khamenei was killed in Israeli and US airstrikes on 28th of February.
The funeral procession will continue over the next few days before concluding with his burial in the holy city of Mashhad on 9th of this month. Public mourning will continue for 40 days thereafter.
Meanwhile, amid the funeral proceedings, a senior Iranian official warned France and the United Kingdom over remarks suggesting the possibility of launching joint patrols in the Strait of Hormuz.