Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf calls for massive turnout at Ali Khamenei’s funeral to avenge the supreme leader’s death in US-Israeli strikes at the start of the war.
“I invite all the Iranian people… to write a glorious page in the history of Islamic Iran through your presence” at the funeral ceremonies starting Saturday, says Ghalibaf, who is also Iran’s parliament speaker.
“The nation’s call for vengeance must ring in the ears of the whole world,” he adds in a statement.
Khamenei’s funeral, initially delayed at the height of the Middle East war, will take place as Iran and the United States observe a fragile ceasefire after signing a preliminary deal to halt the conflict.
Khamenei, a spiritual figure for many Shias, was killed at the age of 86 at his compound in the center of the Iranian capital on February 28, the first day of the war. His public funeral will begin on Saturday, with his body lying in state at the colossal Grand Mosalla complex in central Tehran that hosts major Friday prayers, official ceremonies and religious gatherings. The bodies of his slain relatives will also be presented.
The ceremonies are expected to draw between 15 and 20 million mourners, according to officials, which would make it the biggest state funeral in the country’s history.
“Iran… is preparing to experience one of the most significant moments in its history,” Ghalibaf says.
Tehran, as well as the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad, which will host later stages of the funeral and burial ceremonies, will observe public holidays while the events are underway.
Authorities have ordered public and private offices in Tehran to close from Saturday through Monday, while traffic restrictions will make much of the city center inaccessible to private vehicles.
Iran warns US, Israel against attacks ahead of funeral processions for Khamenei
An Iranian military commander warns the United States and Israel against any attack on Iran as it prepares for the state funeral of the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in airstrikes on the first day of the war.
“We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the US and the Zionist regime, to avoid any miscalculation and to think about the harsh retaliation our armed forces would make to any threat and aggression against our country,” Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, says in a statement carried by state media.
Funeral processions for Khamenei will begin on July 4 in Tehran and conclude on July 9 with his burial in his hometown of Mashhad, with additional ceremonies planned in Qom and Iraq in-between these dates.
Yesterday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi gave a similar warning that Tehran would deliver an immediate and powerful response to any threat against its people or leadership after comments by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz that Iran’s current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was “marked for death.”
Iranian media reported heightened security measures during the funeral period, while the head of Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisation said that temporary airspace restrictions would be implemented over several cities, including Tehran and Mashhad.
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