Funeral rites for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have formally begun, and the moment has quickly turned political. President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that his country will never let its martyred leader's flag bow and will keep it flying high forever. Writing on the social media platform X, Pezeshkian said the loyalty of the Iranian people toward Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, will never fade. His remarks came just as preparations for funeral events in Tehran and several other cities were reaching their peak.
Pezeshkian says the flag will never touch the ground
In his post, Pezeshkian wrote that the hearts of Iran's great people are heavy with grief right now, yet just as full of hope. He said he was confident that the same people would prove that the flag their martyred leader fought his whole life to keep flying will never fall to the ground. He added that his goal is to hand leadership and legacy to the oppressed people of the earth, so that Khamenei's struggle does not go to waste.
Exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi hits back sharply
Meanwhile, exiled Iranian crown prince Reza Pahlavi reacted sharply to Khamenei's final journey, calling it a calculated propaganda exercise by the Iranian government. In a post on X, Pahlavi said the foreign representatives who traveled to Tehran to mourn Ali Khamenei should understand that Iran is not actually grieving for him. He said Iran is instead mourning the more than 40,000 sons and daughters who were put to death on January 8 and 9 by Khamenei, Ghalibaf and their repressive machinery. His comments appeared aimed directly at the Iranian establishment.
Funeral to move from Tehran to Qom and then Mashhad
According to Iran's state broadcaster Press TV, millions of people are taking part in the funeral, which began at the Grand Imam Khomeini Musalla in Tehran. The main funeral procession is being held in Tehran today, Monday. It will then move to the Iranian city of Qom on Tuesday and to Mashhad on Thursday, with related events held in each city. Once these rites are complete across all these cities, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine.
Mourning events also planned in Najaf and Karbala
Organizers said farewell and mourning gatherings in memory of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will also be held in the holy Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala on the coming Wednesday. Earlier, on Friday, representatives and leaders from several countries around the world arrived in Tehran to pay their tribute to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His final farewell has thus stretched well beyond Iran, spanning multiple countries and cities.
