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Tehran, Iran Great memories of all people Iran’s former leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has arrived in the capital, where officials are promoting a message of continuity in the Islamic Republic and revenge for his killings.
Khamenei, 86, was targeted by an airstrike at the start of the war with the United States and Israel on February 28, after ruling Iran with absolute power for nearly 37 years.
Red flags, often associated with martyrdom but also seen as a symbol of revenge in Shia Islam, were seen throughout the Grand Mosalla memorial in Tehran and many other gatherings.
“We must rise,” was the official slogan used at the ceremony, followed by a picture of Khamenei’s fist nailed to a red and black head.
Thousands of people gathered inside a large religious building that was used for funerals since early Saturday morning to pay their respects to the slain leader.
Khamenei’s casket, carried to the funeral home by truck, was displayed at the center of the stage and a flag was placed. Pstanding on the elevated platform of the court, surrounded by glass and guarded by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the authorities were ready to deal with the crowds who wanted to reach his casket.
Male and female pilgrims were separated by a large barrier to preserve Islamic traditions. Religious chants and words are spoken loudly from loudspeakers around the building.
Footage released by state media showed crowds chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” at several metro stations.
“We are all here to avenge the blood of our leader,” Fatemeh, a 55-year-old woman walking in a group of women dressed in black, told Al Jazeera as she waited to enter the north gate of the building.
“We will all listen to his son. He will lead the attack,” he said, referring to Mojtaba Khameneiwho was immediately appointed as the main leader by the pastoral council in March after the assassination of his father.
Strong protection
Heavy security continues in the capital, with armored vehicles, heavy machine guns and eagles visible in all areas surrounding the farewell ceremony.
Men were searched as they entered the Mosalla, while electronic devices – such as power banks, headphones and lighters – were confiscated from mourners by security.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since taking office, will not attend the funeral for security reasons.
State-run newspapers and television said the death of the supreme leader had emboldened supporters of the Islamic Republic, which has been in power since a 1979 uprising toppled Iran’s last shah, Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi.
Officials are expecting large numbers like those at the 1989 funeral of Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. At least eight mourners died in the crowd, forcing the military to evacuate his body by helicopter.
Thousands of “mokebs”, or temporary religious gatherings, have been set up across Tehran, blasting Shia Islamic music and songs chanting for Khamenei.
Some volunteers handed out flags, posters and pictures to the crowd. As temperatures soared to 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit), some mokebs had cooling fans and volunteers handed out free drinks to thousands of mourners.
Emergency responders have been deployed across the region to help with any health problems caused by the overcrowding or heat, but so far officials have not reported any safety or medical emergencies.
Large parts of Tehran are cordoned off and non-government vehicles are barred from entering or leaving.
All of Iran has been effectively shut down until the end of Monday, in an effort to encourage public participation, with 10 million Iranians expected to take part in the talks across the country.
The act of mourning
Khamenei’s remains are expected to be moved to Tehran during the funeral on Monday. It is then expected to pass through some of the Shia’s holiest sites, including Qom, Najaf and Karbala, before being buried. home in Mashhad northeastern Iran on Thursday.
Some Iranians have used the public holiday to escape the crowds and heat of Tehran to the cooler northern regions near the Caspian Sea, as they regularly do during multi-day public events in the capital. Long lines of traffic were seen on the Tehran-Shomal Freeway leading to the provinces, with commuters stranded for hours.
IRGC Commander-in-Chief Ahmad Vahidi, in his first public appearance since the start of the war, told state TV at a ceremony on Friday to sympathize with Khamenei that “the enemies will take what they want so that we surrender to the grave”.
“The enemies should know that the holy blood of our martyred imam changed the victory of the beloved Islam against the pagan world,” he said.
The IRGC’s air chief, Majid Mousavi, who launched missiles and drones across the region during the war, also appeared in public.
The central headquarters of the armed forces issued a statement warning against any military action at the event, after the Minister of Defense of Israel, Israel Katz, said. Mojtaba Khamenei “declared dead”.
Many international representatives were in Tehran on Friday to pay their respects to Khamenei and address Iranian officials in a televised ceremony.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, who facilitated talks between Iran and the US, was one of the dignitaries present. Some countries sent dignitaries, while European countries were not invited.
Among the most prominent people in attendance on Friday were members of the IRGC-backed “Axis of Resistance”, including members of Hamas, Yemen’s Houthis and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
The Hezbollah delegation included members of the family of Hassan Nasrallah, the former leader of the militant group who was killed by Israel in 2024, and their relatives. Imad Mughniyeha military commander was killed by a car bomb in Syria in 2008.
