Iran’s Secretary of National Security, Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, said the crowd at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s wake called for “resistance and revenge.” The funeral ceremony continues this Sunday (5), in the capital Tehran, where the population gathers in the Great Mosalla to say goodbye to the supreme leader murdered in an attack by the United States and Israel.
In a message released this Sunday (5), Zolqadr highlighted that the massive presence of the population at the event is a direct response from the Iranian people: “Keep your eyes fixed on Iran in the coming days. This is the same Iran that you thought you could overthrow in a matter of days.”
And he added: “This immense crowd, which came to say goodbye and say a final goodbye to their leader, chants loudly: resistance against enemies and revenge for the blood of the martyred leader of Iran,” he wrote.
The farewell ceremony for the martyr and his family began on Friday (3). Khamenei was assassinated in February, in the first air strike of the war launched by the United States and Israel against the Persian country. In addition to him, four other family members were killed, including his 14-month-old granddaughter.
In the first public appearance since the attack, three sons of the late ayatollah were present at the ceremony this Sunday (5), Masud, Mostafa and Meysam. However, there was no record of the new supreme leader, Mojtaba, who was reportedly injured in the bombing before being chosen for the role.
On Saturday (4), the President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, spoke at a reception conference for participants in the ceremony “against the policies of violence, terrorism and domination promoted by global arrogance”. The speaker of parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and heads of the Revolutionary Guard also attended, alongside other government officials.
On Monday (6) a grand procession of around 10 kilometers is planned through the streets of Tehran. The procession will head to the holy city of Qom the next day. Cities in Iran and Iraq will also host funeral ceremonies, before burial at the Imam Reza shrine in northeastern Iran.
Khamenei was 88 years old and had held the post since 1989, when he replaced the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ruhollah Khomeini. He will be buried on July 9 in the holy city of Mashhad, where he was born.
According to local authorities, 30 million people participated in the funeral events spread across the country in his honor.
*With information from AFP and IRNA
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br