The body of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, arrived at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla on Friday ahead of his state funeral, according to state media.
The ceremony is expected to draw millions of mourners and foreign dignitaries, with Iranian officials describing it as one of the largest public gatherings in the country’s history.
Images released by state media showed Khamenei’s coffin, draped in Iran’s tricolour flag, being carried into the Grand Mosalla, one of the Islamic Republic’s most prominent ceremonial venues.
Other photographs captured mourners dressed in black as they gathered for a pre-funeral ceremony, with the venue decorated with red flowers and symbolic white butterflies.
Funeral preparations underway
Preparations for the public funeral, which was delayed during the height of the recent conflict, come as Iran and the United States observe a fragile ceasefire following preliminary diplomatic efforts to halt hostilities.
Pakistan announced that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would attend the funeral, while China, Afghanistan and several neighbouring Caucasus countries are also expected to send official delegations.
Workers spent Thursday preparing the Grand Mosalla, landscaping the grounds and making final arrangements as security personnel tightened access around the venue.
“We are planting flowers and watering the shrubs for the farewell ceremony of our martyred guide,” worker Hossein Moghadassi said.
“People will come from all over Iran. There will be huge crowds.”
Officials call for nationwide participation
Iran’s chief negotiator and Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, urged citizens to participate in large numbers, describing the funeral as a defining moment in the nation’s history.
“All the Iranian people should write a glorious page in the history of Islamic Iran through your presence,” he said.
“The nation’s call for vengeance must ring in the ears of the whole world.”
Khamenei, regarded by many Shia Muslims as a leading spiritual figure, died at the age of 86.
His body is expected to lie in state at the Grand Mosalla for three days, while the bodies of several slain family members will also be presented during the ceremonies.
Security measures announced
Iranian authorities have declared public holidays in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad during the funeral period.
Government offices and many private businesses in Tehran are expected to remain closed from Saturday through Monday, while extensive traffic restrictions will be enforced across the capital.
Officials also announced partial airspace closures beginning Friday, with a full closure scheduled for Monday.
Following the ceremonies in Tehran, Khamenei’s body is expected to be taken to the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala before burial at the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad on July 9.
Representatives from about 30 countries are expected to attend the funeral, with pilgrims and mourners arriving from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and other neighbouring nations.
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