Thousands gather in Tehran to mourn Iran's late Supreme Leader Khamenei
Thousands of mourners gathered at Tehran's Grand Mosalla on Saturday to pay their respects to Iran's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as state funeral ceremonies continued in the capital.
Footage from the overnight gathering showed crowds filling the Grand Mosalla, with mourners holding portraits of Khamenei, praying and weeping as they honoured the late leader.
Among those attending was Reyhaneh Abdi, who spoke of her grief during the ceremony.
"I loved my leader with all my soul, and my greatest wish was to sacrifice my life for him, but it didn't happen. Now, I am deeply ashamed before my leader that I survived, while my leader was martyred, by the most wicked creatures and the lowest of people," she said.
Another mourner, Saeid Khane-Baz, said Khamenei's death would not weaken the Islamic Republic.
"They are so weak to think that by martyring the high official, the commander-in-chief, the Supreme Leader, the country will be destroyed. No, they are mistaken. They have trained many soldiers. I am also a soldier. We are all soldiers, and we will remain soldiers of this country," he said.
Iranian authorities have introduced extensive arrangements to accommodate the large crowds, converting mosques, parks and stadiums into temporary facilities and setting up camps for mourners.
A public funeral procession is scheduled to take place on July 6 before ceremonies move to the holy city of Qom on July 7.
The funeral observances are expected to conclude in Mashhad, where Khamenei is due to be buried at the Imam Reza shrine on July 9.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
