Small coffin next to Ali Khamenei: 14-month-old granddaughter honored at Iran’s supreme leader’s funeral
As thousands gathered in Iran for the funeral of late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, one of the most striking photos showed the coffin of his 14-month-old granddaughter on display alongside that of his granddaughter in Tehran.The baby was one of several members of Khamenei’s family who were killed in Israeli air strikes on February 28 as the war broke out. Also honored at the ceremony were Khamenei’s son-in-law, his eldest daughter and the wife of Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.Earlier, the Iranian Embassy in India also paid tribute to the baby, saying: “Martyr Zahra Mohammad Golpayegani. The youngest granddaughter of the martyr leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was martyred with Khamenei. “Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin was placed in Tehran’s Grand Mosala, where senior Iranian leaders, religious figures and foreign dignitaries paid their respects. The meeting was attended by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Masoud Pezeshkian.Video played by Iranian state media showed mourners dressed in black gathering to pray, with many throwing scarves and other personal items to attendants to brush on the coffin, a traditional Iranian practice believed to bring blessings.The coffin was later covered with a red flag that read “Ya Hussein,” a Shiite expression commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The flag was brought from the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala, Iraq, and also symbolizes the blood of those unjustly killed, as well as the call for vengeance in Shia tradition.Authorities announced that Khamenei’s funeral will last several days and his body will be transported to various cities in Iran and neighboring Iraq. Widespread road closures and security measures are expected in Tehran as thousands of mourners attend the ceremony.Meanwhile, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as Iran’s supreme leader, may skip the funeral due to security concerns.
