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Tehran awash with sorrow in lachrymose adieu to martyred Leader
Delegations from nearly 100 countries pay last respects
The farewell ceremony for the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, kicked off at Tehran's Grand Imam Khomeini Mosalla in the early hours of Saturday, drawing a deluge of tearful mourners in a historic display of national unity.
With the gates opening earlier than scheduled at 6 a.m. on Saturday, mourners who had been waiting around the Mosalla and its surrounding routes since Friday night entered the venue.
The event transformed the Mosalla into a sea of grief and devotion as millions -- from all over the country, from cities and villages, as well as people from many different countries around the world -- gathered to pay their last respects to the martyred Leader.
Images of the martyred Leader were installed along the entire entrance route to the Mosalla, with a particularly large image displayed on one of the tall buildings adjacent to the venue.
Attendees, dressed in mourning attire for Imam Hussein and the martyrdom of the Leader of the Islamic Republic, carried Iranian flags, images of the martyred Leader, the "clenched fist" symbol, and images of Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei. They chanted "Labbaik Ya Khamenei," and "All these armies have come for the love of the Leader," to bid farewell to the late Leader while pledging allegiance to the present Leader.
Elderly attendees, some walking on foot and others in wheelchairs, could be seen among the crowds. Banners with messages such as "With a peaceful heart, O Master, he goes gracefully, Iran's soul departs", "The dignified oppressed one, I entrust you to God", "We have experienced grief, but we remain standing," and "Mount Damavand will remember your glory,” were displayed along the mourners' route.
According to the headquarters for the commemoration of the martyred Leader's ascension, the farewell ceremony will continue through Sunday at the Grand Imam Khomeini Mosalla.
The main funeral procession in Tehran is scheduled for Monday. Funeral ceremonies will also be held in Qom on Tuesday, and in Mashhad on Thursday, where the Leader will be laid to rest at the Imam Reza Shrine.
Special farewell and funeral ceremonies for the martyred Leader will also take place in Iraq’s holy cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday, according to the organizers.
Some 14,000 journalists from domestic media and 900 foreign media outlets are covering the farewell ceremony. Foreign journalists have expressed astonishment at the unprecedented turnout and the deep devotion of the people to the martyred Leader.
Facilities for sending news, images, and live video and radio broadcasts are fully prepared, with domestic and foreign journalists stationed among the crowds to cover the monumental event.
On Friday, a ceremony was held in Tehran for foreign delegations to pay tribute to the martyred Leader. The commemorative event brought together one of the largest gatherings of foreign dignitaries in Iran in recent decades, with representatives from across Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and major international organizations attending the event.
The delegations included presidents, prime ministers, parliamentary speakers, foreign ministers, senior government officials, political leaders, and representatives of religious organizations and resistance movements, underscoring the broad international participation in the ceremony.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Friday that delegations from nearly 100 countries, along with public figures and civil society groups, would attend the farewell ceremony for the martyred Leader.
"We have high-level delegations from neighboring countries. At least eight heads of government, including presidents or prime ministers, and parliamentary speakers from 12 countries will attend," Baqaei said. "Many other countries will be represented at the level of foreign ministers, other ministers, or special envoys."
He added that public groups and prominent figures from around 100 countries would also participate in the ceremony.
Baqaei said official delegations, public figures and members of parliament from Eastern European countries would attend the farewell ceremony. However, he said countries in Europe that had officially supported the military aggression by Israel and the United States against Iran had not been invited to attend the ceremony.
Ayatollah Khamenei was martyred following the launch of the latest bout of unprovoked American-Israeli aggression against Iran on February 28.
The aggression, which also claimed the lives of senior officials and countless ordinary civilians, prompted Iran to respond by staging at least 100 decisive and successful retaliatory strikes against sensitive and strategic American and Israeli targets. The reprisal prompted the United States to announce a unilateral ceasefire on April 7.