Tehran: The Iranian government has inaugurated a six-day official funeral ceremony for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the former Supreme Leader who was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike in late February. Millions have gathered in Tehran to pay their respects and mourn the loss of the influential leader.
According to Thai News Agency, on July 5th, a significant number of mourners, clad in black, converged on the Mosalla Mosque in Tehran despite the sweltering heat. This day of public mourning followed an earlier day reserved for high-ranking officials. Demonstrators expressed their discontent with the US-Israeli alliance, chanting calls for revenge and displaying images of Mojtabo Khamenei, the late leader's son and the newly appointed Supreme Leader. The public mourning period allowed approximately 15 million people to pay their last respects.
The funeral procession is scheduled to continue throughout the week, moving to Qom on July 7, a prominent religious center. On July 8, the procession will travel across the border to the revered Shia cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, before returning to Iran on July 9 for burial near the Imam Reza mausoleum in Mashhad, Ayatollah Khamenei's birthplace.
In adherence to Islamic customs, a body is typically buried within 24 hours. However, due to the ongoing conflict and a previous naval blockade, Iranian authorities had to delay the burial until a temporary ceasefire agreement was reached in June. This delay was necessary to ensure the safety of leaders and foreign delegates attending the funeral. Despite these arrangements, there are reports that Supreme Leader Mojtabo Khamenei may not attend his father's funeral due to security concerns, following injuries sustained in the initial attack and additional assassination threats.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump, during his Independence Day address, announced a temporary suspension of attacks on Iran to allow the funeral proceedings to take place. He claimed that Iran was eager to negotiate an end to the conflict and assured that no military actions would occur during the mourning period, with negotiations set to resume thereafter.