Martyr Imam Khamenei’s Body Arrives at Tehran Mosalla for First Farewell

By Staff, Agencies

The body of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution and the Republic of Iran, Imam Sayyed Ali Khamenei has been transferred to the Tehran Mosalla ahead of the official funeral procession set to begin on Saturday.

A farewell ceremony for the Nation's leader was held yesterday near the Imam Khomeini Hussainiya, adjacent to the site where he was martyred.

An atmosphere of profound mourning prevailed throughout the ceremony, as reciters of Ahl al-Bayt elegies chanted lamentations commemorating Imam Hussein. A special memorial ceremony was also held in honor of the martyred Leader.

The head of the committee overseeing the funeral of Iran’s late Leader unveiled the full official schedule on June 22, outlining a multi-day series of farewell, funeral, and burial ceremonies set to commence on Saturday, July 4 – corresponding to 19 Muharram on the Islamic calendar.

In a formal statement, funeral committee head Iman Attarzadeh announced that the events will be held under the slogan "We must rise" and will feature the symbol of a raised fist. The initial farewell ceremonies will span two days at the Grand Imam Khomeini Mosque in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Prayers over the martyred Leader’s body are scheduled to take place in three major Iranian cities: Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad. Attarzadeh specified that Tuesday, July 7, has been designated for the funeral procession and prayers in the holy city of Qom, with further logistical details to be released in subsequent announcements.

In a notable cross-border element, the committee head confirmed that the body will also be transported to Iraq for processions through the holy cities of Najaf al-Ashraf and Karbala on Wednesday, July 8.

The final burial will take place in the holy city of Mashhad on Thursday, July 9, corresponding to 24 Muharram, where the late leader will be laid to rest at the shrine of Imam Ali ibn Musa al-Rida, one of Shia Islam’s most revered sites.

A wave of international delegations is set to arrive in Tehran this week as world leaders and senior officials prepare to attend the funeral of Iran’s martyred Leader, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, whose martyrdom has prompted an outpouring of diplomatic engagement across the globe.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will be among the high-profile attendees, according to a statement from Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Thursday.

For his part, Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi confirmed that Prime Minister Sharif will undertake a multi-nation visit from July 3 to July 5, beginning with a stop in Tehran for the funeral before proceeding to Turkey.

China has also confirmed its representation at the solemn ceremony. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that a senior member of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee [NPCSC] will travel to Tehran tomorrow to pay respects on behalf of the Chinese government.

India’s delegation will be led by its Deputy Foreign Minister, accompanied by the Governor of the state of Bihar, according to an announcement from India’s external affairs ministry.

Russia, meanwhile, will send a top-level envoy. Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, will attend the funeral as a special representative of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The news was confirmed by Iran’s ambassador to Moscow, according to ISNA.