Tens of thousands of Iranians have gathered at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran to pay their final respects to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the initial stages of the conflict with the United States and Israel.
Key points
- The funeral proceedings are scheduled to last a week, with the body eventually being moved to Qom and Iraq before burial in Mashhad.
- The public gathering serves as a significant test of domestic support for the Iranian government following the recent war.
- U.S. President Donald Trump sparked controversy by suggesting that the gathering of Iranian leaders for the funeral presented a tactical opportunity for a strike, though he stated the U.S. would not act on it.
- Mourners carried images of the late leader and his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, while chanting slogans against the United States.
Why it matters
The funeral of the Supreme Leader is a critical political event for Iran, serving as a test of national unity and regime stability in the immediate aftermath of a major war.
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