WATCH: ‘Death to America, Death to Israel’ chants echo as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral begins
Chants of “Death to America,” “Death to Israel” and “Vengeance, revenge” echoed through Tehran’s Grand Mosque on Saturday as thousands of mourners gathered to begin a six-day public funeral for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Mourners carrying red banners, a symbol of a call for revenge, filled the massive religious complex, AFP reported. Iranian authorities estimate that 15 to 20 million people will attend the ceremony in Tehran over the next three days.The funeral marked the beginning of a week of farewell ceremonies for Khamenei. Khamenei ruled the Islamic Republic from 1989 until his death in a US-Israeli air strike on February 28 at the age of 86. The coffin will remain in place until Monday, when the procession will pass through Tehran, then continue to Qom on Tuesday, then to Iraq’s Shiite holy cities of Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf on Wednesday, and finally to Mashhad on Thursday, where he will be buried.It is expected to be Iran’s largest public gathering since the funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. Tight security was deployed for the rally. Roads have been blocked, airspace is expected to be closed and authorities have deployed water tankers on major routes as temperatures are expected to exceed 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). Senior Iranian leaders, including Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, attended the opening ceremony along with international dignitaries such as Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian Security Council Vice Chairman Dmitry Medvedev. Representatives of Hamas, Hezbollah and the Afghan Taliban government also attended. The late leader’s son and designated successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not been seen in public since his father’s death, and the ceremonies are also closely watched.
