Iran Hosts Major Funeral for Khamenei with Global Leaders Attending

One hundred twenty-five days after Israel killed him in the opening strike of Operation 'Lion's Roar,' Iran began the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran. The Iranians turned the funeral into a show of strength by inviting dozens of leaders from around the world, signaling Iran's continued central role in the Middle East. Attending leaders included Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iraqi President Nechirvan Barzani, Tajikistan's President Emomali Rahmon, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Russia's former Prime Minister and Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev. Bangladesh and India sent parliamentary delegations, and a Kurdish delegation from Iraq and Turkey's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz were also present.

The funeral also marked the public reappearance of Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi, who had remained in hiding since Operation 'Lion's Roar.' Numerous other Revolutionary Guard representatives attended, though Iranian television refrained from broadcasting their arrival for security reasons. The funeral procession will pass through Shiite holy sites in Iran and Iraq, including Najaf and Karbala, before returning to Iran for the final burial in Mashhad at the Imam Reza shrine. An estimated 20 million people are expected to participate in the funeral processions and rallies across these locations.