Funeral prayers for Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were marked by chants of "Resistance against enemies" and "Revenge for the blood of the martyred leader" as the Islamic Republic mourns the death of the former leader, who was assassinated in the US-Israeli strikes on February 28, leading to widespread regional conflict.
Chants and Messages at the Funeral
According to Iran's official news agency ISNA, the Secretariat of Iran's Supreme National Security Council stated that mourners and followers present at the prayers chanted slogans in honour of the former leader, calling out the US and Israeli leadership for the death of Ali Khamenei. The National Security Council further called for revenge for the death of the former leader.
"People are shouting two slogans in farewell to their leader: resistance against enemies and revenge for the blood of the martyred leader of Iran," the message read as per ISNA. "Keep your eyes on Iran these past few days; this is the Iranian you thought you could defeat in a few days," the message further stated, underscoring what it described as national unity and resilience during the funeral proceedings.
Millions Attend Public Funeral
The public funeral prayers for Ali Khamenei and four members of his family were held in Tehran on Sunday, the second day of the farewell ceremony. Millions of people swarmed the streets of central Tehran near the Imam Khomeini Grand Musalla, where Khamenei's body has been lying in state since Saturday for public mourning and official farewell ceremonies.
Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, earlier this year, leading to a widespread conflict in the West Asia region. Last month, the US and Iran agreed to a 14-point memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the hostilities in the region and opening a 60-day dialogue window for technical talks, including discussions over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear programme.
Succession and Security Concerns
Following Ali Khamenei's death, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. As per Al Jazeera, Mojtaba Khamenei will skip the six days of funeral ceremonies for his father now underway in Tehran, citing security concerns amid continued Israeli threats to assassinate him.
Meanwhile, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, in a post on X today, said the people of Iran had united to pay tribute to the late leader. "Today, the proud and invincible nation of Islamic Iran unanimously testified in favour of their martyred Mujahid Imam: 'O Allah, we know nothing from him except good,'" Ghalibaf wrote in his post. He added that the mourners then chanted in unison, "And he stood up in unison and shouted from the depths of his soul: 'O the martyrs of Al-Hussain (peace be upon him)!'"
The funeral prayers drew large crowds, with authorities describing the gathering as a demonstration of solidarity and commitment to the country's leadership and ideals.
