Iran Hosts International Dignitaries as Funeral Ceremonies for Khamenei Begin

TEHRAN: Senior Iranian officials and foreign dignitaries gathered in Tehran on Friday to pay their final respects to Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country commenced an elaborate state funeral ahead of a series of nationwide mourning ceremonies.

Thousands of mourners queued to view Khamenei’s coffin, which was placed in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Mosque, where government leaders, military commanders, religious scholars and visiting delegations from across the region offered condolences.

Among the foreign dignitaries attending the ceremonies were leaders and senior representatives from Pakistan, Iraq, Russia, China and several other countries, underscoring the international significance of the event. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other top officials received the visiting delegations and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to preserving Khamenei’s legacy.

The funeral ceremonies, expected to last several days, are being conducted under heightened security amid ongoing regional tensions. Authorities have mobilized extensive security measures across Tehran as large crowds continue to arrive from different parts of Iran to participate in the mourning process.

According to Iranian officials, the funeral programme will include public processions in Tehran before continuing to other religious centres, culminating in Khamenei’s burial in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad near the Imam Reza shrine.

The state funeral has been presented by Iranian authorities as both a national mourning ceremony and a demonstration of unity and resilience following the death of the long-serving leader, who was killed during the recent conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.