Iran’s chief negotiator called on millions of people to attend Ali Khamenei’s funeral, vowing vengeance after his death in US-Israeli strikes.
Tehran: Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Thursday called for huge crowds to turn out for Ali Khamenei’s funeral to avenge the supreme leader’s death in US-Israeli strikes at the start of the war.
“I invite all Iranian people to write a glorious page in the history of Islamic Iran through your presence,” Ghalibaf, who is also Iran’s parliament speaker, said at the funeral ceremony starting Saturday.
“The nation’s call for vengeance should echo in the ears of the entire world,” he said in a statement.
Khamenei’s funeral was initially delayed at the height of the Middle East war, as Iran and the United States are adhering to a fragile ceasefire after signing a preliminary agreement to halt the conflict.
Khamenei, a spiritual figure for many Shiites, was assassinated at the age of 86 in his compound in the center of the Iranian capital on February 28, the first day of the war.
His public funeral will begin on Saturday, with his body laid to rest at the vast Grand Mosallah complex in central Tehran, where major Friday prayers, official ceremonies and religious gatherings are held.
The bodies of their killed relatives will also be presented.
According to officials, 15 to 20 million mourners are expected to attend the ceremony, making it the largest state funeral in the country’s history.
Ghalibaf said, “Iran… is preparing to experience one of the most important moments in its history.”
Tehran, as well as the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad, which will host the later stages of funerals and burial ceremonies, will observe public holidays while the events are underway.
Authorities have ordered public and private offices in Tehran closed from Saturday to Monday, while traffic restrictions will make much of the city center inaccessible to private vehicles.
The airspace over Tehran will be partially closed from Friday and completely closed on Monday.
After ceremonies in Tehran, Khamenei’s body will be taken to the holy Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala before being buried at the shrine of Imam Reza in the northeastern city of Mashhad, his birthplace, on July 9.
But at the main ceremony in Tehran, it is unknown whether Khamenei’s son and successor Mojtaba, who has not been seen in public since becoming supreme leader, will be in attendance.
Representatives from about 30 countries are expected to attend the funeral, including people from neighboring Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
