Millions of Iranians follow the funeral procession of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, murdered on February 28 this year, the same day that the United States and Israel bombed the country, starting a war. The official estimate is that around 20 million people came to say goodbye to the ayatollah.
In addition to paying tribute to Khamenei, the crowd also took the opportunity to protest against the Donald Trump government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Iran’s Secretary of National Security, Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, stated that the population calls for “resistance and revenge”. “Keep your eyes fixed on Iran in the coming days. This is the same Iran you thought you could take down in a matter of days”, in a clear allusion to Trump’s statements after starting the conflict.
According to international analyst Henrique Gomes, a doctoral student at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), the mass presence of the population at the wake is a clear demonstration of support for Iranian institutions. Furthermore, Gomes states that, although the peace agreement between Iran and the USA has not yet been made official, the negotiations are very close to the end and, for this reason, the wake was held now.
“We are already in a state of ceasefire, we have seen less news about the conflict. It is precisely to end this cycle that I believe that the Iranian authorities have scheduled the funeral events. And the images are impressive: across the country, crowds are taking to the streets to remember the passing of the Ayatollah, who was killed at the beginning of the conflict. And it is clearly a demonstration of strength by the Iranian regime, the theocratic regime in force in the country”, he states.
The images, according to the analyst, refute the current Western narrative, especially defended by the United States. “The narrative has been dismantled, because there is no uniform issue that it is just an authoritarian regime that does not have popular support. On the contrary, it has a lot of popular support. There are, yes, great divergences that can even be suppressed, since freedom of expression is not Iran’s strong point. But there is great popular support, even more so after a conflict that the United States and Israel initiated freely. Iran did not directly attack the United States. Iran has its problem with Israel, that is true. But the direct attack by the United States United States and Israel on Iranian territory, with all the victims, all the economic and social problems resulting from this, caused the population to show support for the regime, because it is the regime that is defending them”, analyzes Gomes.
Henrique Gomes does not believe that the crowds in the streets could strain relations between Iran and the USA and complicate the peace process. However, the more distant future remains uncertain. “I believe that this 2026 conflict can end, but it leaves room for new conflicts. The Iranian population will fuel revanchism. This is the seed for new conflicts. And the anti-American feeling, which was already very strong in Iran, is now even greater, even more anti-Israel too. A personal desire to eliminate the leaders of these countries”, he assesses.
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Source: www.brasildefato.com.br