- Thousands gathered in Tehran for former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral ceremonies
- Khamenei's coffin was draped in the Islamic Republic flag with his black turban on top
- His granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani, killed in the US-Israel attack, was also honored
Funeral ceremonies for Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei officially began in Tehran on Saturday, with thousands of Iranians turning up to pay tributes to their 86-year-old leader who was killed in the US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
Khamenei's coffin was carried into the complex, draped in a flag of the Islamic Republic and with his black turban placed on top. The bodies of his dead relatives were also placed beside him, including the small coffin of his 14-month-old granddaughter.
Khamenei's remains arrived in Tehran on Friday for six days of public funeral ceremonies planned in cities across Iran and Iraq. His remains will be carried across cities in Iran and neighbouring Iraq. Hundreds of supporters of the Islamic republic were already waiting on Friday evening outside Tehran's Grand Mosalla ahead of its opening to the public today. Authorities said they expect between 15 and 20 million participants in Tehran alone over the next three days.
Photo Credit: AFP
Once the gates opened today, thousands of mourners entered the venue, and the main courtyard of the vast complex was filled with people. The mourners carried red banners, a symbol associated with calls for revenge, and chanted "death to America" and "revenge, revenge", news agency AFP reported.
"I am here to say goodbye to my beloved leader Ali Khamenei. I never expected to see such a day. I wish I had died before this tragedy," a 27-year-old mourner told news agency Associated Press.
Photo Credit: AFP
Top Iranian officials showed their grief on Friday, with parliament speaker and top negotiator in the US talks Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visibly tearful.
Top Iranian officials paying their respects included Ahmad Vahidi, who was named chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards after his predecessor was killed in the same strikes that killed Khamenei.
Bihar governor Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita are representing India at the ceremony.
Khamenei's coffin will lie in Tehran until Monday, when a procession will pass through the city. It will move to the clerical hub of Qom on Tuesday before moving to holy cities in neighbouring Iraq on Wednesday and then proceeding for burial on Thursday in Khamenei's home city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.
