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Hundreds of thousands of Tehran residents took to the streets on July 6 to participate in the funeral procession for Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and members of his family.
According to Iranian authorities, between 15 million and 20 million people are expected to take part in the mass procession. The coffins will be carried from Damavand Highway along central Enghelab Street to Azadi Square, covering a route of about 15 kilometers.
Iranian media have published videos showing Tehran’s streets filled with crowds. A vehicle carrying the body of Ali Khamenei can be seen moving through the large gathering.
Iran’s Mehr News Agency has provided Armenpress with photographs from the streets of Tehran.
Farewell ceremonies for the Supreme Leader, who was killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, began on July 3 and will continue until July 8.
Leaders and senior officials from around 30 countries attended the farewell ceremonies. On July 3, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also took part in the official farewell ceremony for Ali Khamenei at Tehran's Mosalla Mosque. Other foreign dignitaries included Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Chairman of the People's Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, and others.
The burial ceremony will take place on July 9 in Khamenei’s hometown of Mashhad.
Ali Khamenei’s three sons - Mostafa, Meysam and Masoud Khamenei - are attending the memorial ceremonies. However, his other son, Iran’s current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, has not been seen at any of the events so far.