United News of Bangladesh

Huge crowds of mourners dressed in black filled the streets of Iran's capital on Monday as the funeral procession for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continued, with many participants chanting slogans calling for the death of U.S. President Donald Trump. Khamenei's coffin, draped in the Iranian flag, was placed on a truck decorated to resemble the ornate lattice surrounding the shrine of an imam. The coffins of several members of his family, who were killed in a Feb. 28 airstrike during the war launched by Israel and the United States, were also carried in the procession. The large turnout, encouraged by Iran's clerical leadership as a display of national unity and strength, came as Tehran prepares to resume negotiations with the United States on reaching a permanent end to the conflict that claimed the life of the 86-year-old leader. Live footage broadcast by Iranian state television showed a massive crowd stretching for several kilometres from Tehran's Azadi (Freedom) Square along the city's main boulevard. The gathering appeared larger than the funeral procession held in 2020 for Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani, which attracted more than one million mourners. Authorities did not immediately release an official estimate of the crowd size as the truck carrying the coffins moved slowly through the streets. Many mourners carried banners and placards calling for Trump's death. "Today is a very difficult day because we are attending the funeral of our leader," mourner Fatima Hassan said. "We are not here to say goodbye. We are here for revenge, and we will take revenge." Many mourners reached out to touch the truck carrying Khamenei's coffin, while others threw scarves and personal belongings toward attendants so they could briefly touch the coffin, a traditional practice in Iran believed to bring blessings. To help people cope with the heat, attendants standing on fire trucks sprayed water mist over the crowd. Officials repeatedly urged mourners through loudspeakers to walk slowly, avoid pushing and remain along the edges of the road to prevent accidents. Revolutionary Guard General Hasan Hasanzadeh, who is overseeing the funeral arrangements, said the coffins would travel through Tehran over a 12-hour journey before reaching Mehrabad International Airport. Iranian authorities have closed major roads, restricted airspace and suspended much of daily activity during the mourning period, which began on Saturday and will continue until Thursday. Khamenei will be buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace. "This is the last time I will see him," said mourner Maryam Alizadeh through tears. "Our generation lived with him for decades." As the funeral ceremonies continued, calls for retaliation over Khamenei's death grew louder. Many mourners displayed signs demanding the deaths of both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. One effigy of Trump was seen hanging along the procession route. "We are here to show that his path will continue," mourner Sahar Zaraatgar said. "All of us will continue on his path, and we will certainly avenge his death against the U.S. and Israel." U.S. authorities have monitored Iranian threats against Trump and other senior officials for years following Trump's order to kill General Qassem Soleimani in 2020. Iran has repeatedly denied plotting to assassinate Trump, although hardline propaganda has frequently portrayed him as a target. During the recent conflict, Trump also threatened to destroy Iran's civilisation if tensions escalated further. Meanwhile, negotiations between Washington and Tehran remain on hold until after Khamenei's burial. The United States hopes to resume talks aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz, curbing Iran's disputed nuclear programme and securing a lasting end to the war. The funeral has also served as a demonstration of national unity as Iran continues to demand greater control over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy shipping route that it closed during the conflict. The United States has rejected those demands, while disagreements also remain over Iran's nuclear programme and the conflict involving the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon. Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared publicly during the funeral ceremonies. He is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the airstrike that killed his father. During the war, before an April ceasefire took effect, Israel targeted several senior Iranian leaders, in some cases reportedly using their public appearances to identify their locations. Israeli officials have also threatened to kill the younger Khamenei.

Iran will hold funeral and burial ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in early July, state media reported on Saturday, as efforts to finalize an agreement aimed at ending the ongoing regional conflict continue. According to Iran’s state-run broadcaster IRIB, funeral processions, farewell ceremonies and the burial of Khamenei are scheduled to take place between July 4 and July 9. Khamenei was killed in the initial phase of the conflict launched by Israel and the United States against Iran in late February. He was subsequently succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei. State media said the funeral ceremonies will begin in Tehran before moving to the holy city of Qom, a major center of Shiite religious scholarship, and later to Mashhad, Khamenei’s birthplace. He is expected to be buried at the Imam Reza Shrine, one of the most revered sites in Shiite Islam. Funeral rites for Khamenei’s daughter and son-in-law, who were also killed in the February attack, will be held on the same day, the report said. Khamenei led Iran for more than three decades after succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, following Khomeini’s death in 1989. During his tenure, Khamenei significantly expanded the influence of Iran’s Shiite clerical establishment and strengthened the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which evolved into one of the country’s most powerful military, political and economic institutions. The Revolutionary Guard became a key pillar of Iran’s security apparatus, overseeing the country’s ballistic missile program and maintaining a broad presence across various sectors of the national economy.