To the sound of calls for revenge: crowds in front of Ali Khamenei’s coffin in Tehran

The funeral procession of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, entered its second day today (Saturday). Millions of people continue to come to the compound in Tehran where his coffin was placed, while chanting calls for revenge against Israel and the United States. According to the plan published by the regime, the funeral journey will last four more days, will pass through five cities in Iran and Iraq and will end on Thursday with his burial in his hometown, Mashhad.

Last night, a farewell ceremony for Khamenei took place in Tehran, to which the coffin was brought. One by one, the senior officials of the Iranian regime arrived, including the three heads of government – President Massoud Pazkhian, Head of the Judiciary Ghulam-Hossein Mohseny Azhai and Speaker of the Parliament Mohammad-Bakar Kalibaf. The commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Ahmed Vahidi, also participated in the ceremony and delivered a firm message: “Those who aspire to see the surrender of our nation will take this ambition to the grave.”

Dozens of delegations and officials from abroad also came to the ceremonies in Tehran. Among the participants were the Prime Minister of Armenia, the Pakistan Army Commander, and representatives from Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Iraq, China, Russia, Thailand, and Georgia. In addition to the state delegations, there were also members of the Taliban, representatives of Palestinian organizations, members of Hezbollah and the Amal movement from Lebanon, a delegation of al-Hashd al-Sha’abi and the Iraqi Hezbollah brigades, as well as members of the families of Hassan Nasrallah and Imad Morniyah.

In the shadow of the funeral procession, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, addressed the events in Iran tonight. In a speech he gave in South Dakota, he said that Washington had given Iran “a week off” on the occasion of Khamenei’s funeral journey. “We dismantled Iran. They are dying to reach a settlement. They want so much to reach a settlement. We gave them a week off for the funeral, because we are nice,” the president said.

The public mourning ceremonies began this morning as part of a whole week of events according to Shia tradition. Even before their opening, foreign leaders visited the large prayer complex “Grand Musalla” in Tehran, where Khamenei’s coffin is placed. This is also the place where he delivered many of his key speeches as Iran’s supreme leader for decades.

According to the official plan, Khamenei’s coffin will be placed in Tehran throughout the weekend in a compound prepared to receive the masses, and on Monday the official funeral procession will begin in the streets of the capital. The authorities in Iran declared Saturday a Sabbath day, and flags were hung in the capital with the slogan: “We must stand up.” Thousands of officials in the regime are expected to stand along the funeral route.

According to the plan published by the regime, Khamenei’s coffin will be placed in Tehran throughout the weekend, and on Monday the official funeral procession will begin in the streets of the capital. From there, the coffin will pass through the city of Qom, cross into Iraq on Wednesday and reach the cities of Karbala and Najaf, before ending on Thursday in Mashhad, Khamenei’s hometown. In Iran, it is estimated that millions of people will participate in ceremonies along the route.

On Wednesday, the journey is expected to cross the border into Iraq and reach the cities of Karbala and Najaf, two of the holiest sites for Shiites.

The authorities will end the funeral procession on Thursday in the city of Mashhad, the second largest city in Iran and the hometown of Khamenei. According to estimates, more than one million people will attend the graduation ceremony. Khamenei will be buried in the tomb complex of Imam Reza, one of the holiest sites for Shiites. Former Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed in a helicopter crash in 2024, was also buried in the same complex.

In the background of the preparations, the uncertainty surrounding the participation of Khamenei’s son and successor, Mujtaba Khamenei, continues. According to published reports, he was injured in an attack near the time his father was killed, and has not been seen in public since.