Mourning ceremonies are being held in five cities across Iran and Iraq, according to Iranian state media. Millions have already gathered to pay their respects to the late supreme leader, who died in late February.
These crowds demonstrate both the strength of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the mourning for Ayatollah Khamenei, who ruled for decades, positioning Iran as a regional power while suppressing dissent. The coffins are draped in the Iranian flag.
The photograph was captured in Tehran on Monday, where journalists were informed that the route had been shortened due to the massive crowd. Officials stated that, rather than covering more than 17 miles, the procession would proceed slowly from the designated road’s center to Azadi Square, a prominent public plaza.
On Tuesday, ceremonies took place in Qom, a major center of Shiite scholarship.
The final city for the funeral program is Mashhad on Thursday, where the supreme leader will be interred at the Imam Reza shrine. This shrine is one of the twelve revered religious figures regarded by some Shiite Muslims as the spiritual successors of the Prophet Muhammad.
The selection of these locations underscores the supreme leader’s stature and the high standing of its clerical office.
