WANA (Jul 05) – Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla reached full capacity as hundreds of thousands gathered to attend the funeral prayer for Iran’s late leader, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, and members of his family. Overflow crowds extended into the streets surrounding the prayer complex as worshippers continued to arrive.

 

Arabic-language television networks, broadcasting the ceremony live, reported that the crowds attending the funeral over the past two days were even larger on Sunday than the previous day. According to the coverage, not only was the Mosalla filled to capacity, but the surrounding streets were also packed with mourners.

The broadcasters noted that many participants carried placards calling for retaliation over the assassination of Iran’s late leader. Large numbers of mourners were also seen carrying red flags—widely regarded in Iran as symbols of vengeance and the pursuit of justice—as well as the flags of groups associated with the Axis of Resistance.

 

Participants also renewed their allegiance to the principles of the Islamic Revolution and to Iran’s new leader.

 

A number of senior political and military figures attended the ceremony alongside the public, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Major General Esmail Qaani, commander of Iran’s Quds Force, Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, senior adviser to the Commander-in-Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as other senior government officials and the sons of Iran’s late leader.

Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi Attends Funeral Prayer Ceremony for Iran's Late Leader

Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi Attends Funeral Prayer Ceremony for Iran’s Late Leader. Social media/WANA News Agency

Authorities also reported a sharp increase in public transportation usage during the event. From 5:30 a.m. on Saturday until 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, a total of 7,141,212 trips were recorded across Tehran’s metro network as people traveled to attend the farewell ceremony.

 

The public farewell ceremony at Imam Khomeini Mosalla is scheduled to continue until 8:00 p.m. local time.