Funeral prayers were offered over the body of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Sunday, the third day of extensive funeral ceremonies that have drawn unprecedented crowds to the Iranian capital.
Sunday has been declared a public holiday for the entire country, and in the evening, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s body will leave the Grand Mosalla complex where it is lying in state in preparation for processions through the capital planned for Monday.
Hassan Hassanzadeh, in charge of the ceremonies as commander of the powerful Revolutionary Guards in Tehran, said that “prayers will be carried out over the holy body of the martyred leader” at 8:00 am local time (0430 GMT), according to state TV.
On Saturday, vast crowds of Iranians loyal to the Islamic republic had massed for the start of the public funeral ceremonies, which authorities hope will serve as a message of defiance after the war with the US and Israel.
Clad in black and waving blood-red flags symbolising vengeance and justice, mourners beat their chests in a sign of grief as chants of “death to America” and “revenge, revenge” echoed around the venue.
“The leader was a father to us all. With his passing, we have all been left orphaned,” said Mohammad Mirsalehi, 38, a cleric.
The coffins of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with his black turban on top, and four family members also killed in the February 28 strikes — including his infant granddaughter — were placed at the front on a raised dais, AFP photographs showed.
Authorities believe the ceremonies will mobilise more than 10 million people in the capital alone.
Read more: Ayatollah Khamenei funeral ceremonies begin in Iran as huge crowds gather
– Allies in attendance –
After five weeks of intense hostilities, the Middle East war is on hold after a ceasefire and an initial accord with the US. But both Washington and Tehran have warned they are ready to resume fighting at any time.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral is being viewed outside Iran as a test of support for the government following mass protests before the war in January that rights groups say were quelled by a crackdown that left thousands dead.
“What is observed today in the emotions, tears, and passionate presence of the people in various scenes is the most telling sign of his position among the Iranian nation and the free people of the world,” President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a speech Saturday, accusing Israel in particular of acting as a “destabilising factor” in the Middle East.
“Muslims have shown that they will not surrender to oppression and bullying,” he added.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had long pursued a course of confrontation with the West, and Tehran for years has provided support to anti-US and anti-Israel armed groups around the region, including Palestinian Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Delegations from both groups met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday, state media reported, while representatives of Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Hamas ally Palestinian Islamic Jihad were also in attendance at the funeral.
After Monday’s procession, Khamenei’s coffin will be moved on Tuesday to the clerical city of Qom, then on Wednesday to neighbouring Iraq, before the burial on Thursday in his northeastern hometown of Mashhad.
