Last salute to Iran’s late supreme leader Khamenei, crowd gathered on the streets of Tehran

Tehrani. The funeral procession of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began with full state honors from Tehran’s Imam Hussein Square on Monday morning. Lakhs of people participated in the last journey which started after the national anthem. Khamenei’s body is being taken in a special vehicle through major roads of Tehran to the holy city of Qom, where he will be cremated according to religious traditions.

During the last journey, a huge crowd gathered on the streets of the capital. A large number of people arrived with Iranian flags and religious symbols in their hands to pay their last respects. Senior government officials, religious leaders, military officers and delegations from various countries also attended the event. Iranian media have described it as one of the largest public events in the country’s modern history.
In view of the crowd, the administration made elaborate security and traffic arrangements. 193 buses were deployed at Imam Khomeini International Airport, through which people and delegations from India and abroad were transported to the venue. Security agencies continued to keep vigil in the capital.

President Massoud Pezeshkian said that this is not just a farewell ceremony, but a national determination to carry forward Khamenei’s ideas and his mission. He said that the voluntary participation and sentiments of millions of people are proof that Khamenei’s influence is deeply present among the public. At the same time, Army Chief Major General Amir Hatami said that efforts will continue to bring those responsible for Khamenei’s death to justice. He said that Iran is not going to back down in this matter and will take every possible step until justice is served. There is an atmosphere of mourning in the entire country with the last journey, while the international community is also continuously keeping an eye on this development.