Khamenei's Body taken to holy city of Qom, mourning procession to be held
Collected Photo
The body of Iran's former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has been brought to the holy city of Qom. Qatar-based media outlet Al Jazeera confirmed this information, citing state television. A mourning procession is scheduled to take place in the holy city of Qom today, Tuesday.
Images broadcast on state television showed a helicopter carrying Khamenei's body landing in the city, located south of the capital, Tehran.
Earlier, for the third consecutive day, hundreds of thousands of mourning Iranians took to the streets of the capital to participate in Khamenei's farewell procession. Yesterday, Monday, Khamenei's coffin was moved from the Grand Mosalla to the city's Azadi Square.
Upon reaching Azadi Square, mourners dressed in black showered the coffins with flower petals to pay their final respects. State media reported that among the coffins was a small one belonging to Khamenei's granddaughter, who was only 14 months old at the time of her death.
According to a report by The Guardian, a mourning procession spanning several miles took place in Tehran that day. Hundreds of thousands of mourning Iranians participated in the procession, which stretched from Imam Hossein Square to Azadi Square.
Yesterday, Monday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian joined the general public in the farewell procession in Tehran. He wrote on the social media platform X, "Today, we pledge to continue Iran's path of honor, progress, and glory."
Other high-profile individuals participating in the procession included Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, and Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani.
Earlier, on February 28, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike. Four other members of the Khamenei family were also killed in the attack.
Unprecedented arrangements began in Tehran last Friday ahead of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral prayers and burial. On that day, Khamenei's coffin was placed at the Grand Mosalla Mosque, where diplomats and foreign guests paid their respects.
On Saturday, the doors of the Grand Mosalla were opened for the public to pay their respects. Following the funeral prayers in Tehran on Sunday, mourning processions were held on the capital's main roads on Monday.
Today, Tuesday, the body has been taken to the holy city of Qom. On Wednesday, the programs will cross the border into Iraq, reaching Najaf and Karbala. Following this, he will be buried at the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza in his birthplace, Mashhad, on Thursday. (Source: Al Jazeera)
