QOM: Millions of mourners gathered at the Holy Jamkaran Mosque in the Iranian city of Qom on Tuesday to participate in funeral prayers for the late Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and several members of his family.
The funeral prayers were led by Grand Ayatollah Abdullah Javadi Amoli and attended by a large number of worshippers, senior religious scholars, government officials, military representatives, and dignitaries from across Iran. The gathering marked one of the largest public funeral ceremonies in the country's recent history.
Following the prayers, mourners began a solemn funeral procession from the Holy Jamkaran Mosque to the Shrine of Hazrat Fatima Masumeh, where thousands lined the route to pay their final respects. Many participants carried Iranian national flags and red banners as they marched in remembrance of the late leader.
Crowds had started arriving in Qom on Monday afternoon from different parts of Iran. By early Tuesday morning, the mosque's courtyards and prayer halls had reached full capacity, while additional processions continued to arrive on foot and by vehicle.
The funeral ceremonies began on Friday when Ayatollah Khamenei's body was placed in state at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla, where foreign dignitaries, political leaders, and religious figures offered condolences. Public farewell ceremonies followed on Saturday, with official funeral prayers held on Sunday. On Monday, thousands of mourners lined the streets of Tehran as the funeral procession moved through the capital.
According to Iranian officials, the funeral ceremonies will continue in Iraq on Wednesday before concluding on Thursday in Mashhad, where Ayatollah Khamenei is expected to be laid to rest at the Shrine of Imam Reza, in accordance with his stated wishes.
Iranian authorities said Ayatollah Khamenei and several members of his family were killed on February 28 during the opening day of what Tehran described as a 40-day conflict involving military operations by the United States and Israel. Following his death, the Assembly of Experts appointed Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei as the new Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
