Tehran : Iranian Foreign Minister Syed Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf broke down in tears during the farewell ceremony for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Friday. Visuals released by Iran’s Fars News Agency captured emotional scenes from the ceremony, with the country’s top leadership paying tribute to Khamenei.
A video from the event showed Araghchi and Ghalibaf standing before Khamenei’s coffin, visibly overcome with emotion as prayers were offered inside Tehran’s Grand Mosalla. Both leaders were seen wiping away tears, while other senior officials bowed their heads in mourning. The footage also showed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and other dignitaries paying their respects, as military officers stood in salute before the coffins.
Khamenei, who led Iran for nearly 37 years, was killed along with several members of his family — including his daughter, son-in-law, infant granddaughter and daughter-in-law — during the opening phase of the US-Israel conflict on February 28. Under Islamic tradition, burials are generally held within 24 hours of death. The late Supreme Leader’s body is lying in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla ahead of a series of funeral processions across Iran and Iraq.
WATCH: Iran’s Ghalibaf cries during the farewell ceremony of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. pic.twitter.com/3G1i7Fowxl
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After ceremonies in Tehran, the remains will be taken to Qom and then to the Iraqi shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala. Khamenei will be buried in Mashhad on July 9 near the shrine of Imam Reza. Notably absent from the public ceremony was Khamenei’s son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, who reportedly stayed away because of security concerns. Iranian officials said unprecedented security arrangements have been put in place for the funeral.
The funeral has drawn high-level delegations from across the world. Those attending include Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief General Asim Munir, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, Turkmenistan’s Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and several parliamentary speakers, ministers and regional leaders.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said, “Many other countries will be represented at the level of foreign ministers, other ministers, or special envoys.” The ceremonies come at a crucial moment for Iran as the government seeks to project unity after Khamenei’s death and months of conflict.
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