Iran prepares for unprecedented funeral for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
via SeneNews3 min read
Iran is preparing for an unprecedented three-day funeral for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, beginning Saturday, four months after his death in an Israeli-American strike. Authorities anticipate 15 to 20 million participants in Tehran alone for the tribute, which aims to be a show of strength after a nearly 40-day war. Workers and emergency personnel are making final preparations at the Mosalla complex, where Khamenei's remains will be displayed. The complex will remain open day and night until Monday. A procession will transport Ali Khamenei's remains through Tehran before heading to the holy city of Qom on Tuesday. Dignitaries and officials from about thirty countries, mostly neighbors, are expected, including former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. China will be represented by a senior parliamentary official, He Wei. Ali Khamenei, the longest-serving Supreme Leader since the 1979 establishment of the Islamic Republic, died at 86 on February 28 during bombings of his residence. His national funeral, initially planned for March but postponed due to the war, is expected to be the largest in Iran's history. In 1989, approximately 10 million people attended the funeral of his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. The coffins of close relatives killed on the first day of the war, including a daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, will also be displayed alongside Ali Kham
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