Foreign Delegations Arrive in Tehran for Khamenei's Funeral

Official delegations from several countries arrived in the Iranian capital Tehran on Friday to attend the funeral ceremony for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian media. Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint United States and Israeli attack on Iran on 28 February, triggering weeks of war and escalating tensions across the region. High-ranking officials arriving in Tehran included Iraqi President Nizar Amidi, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi along with an Iraqi parliamentary delegation, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, and Uzbek Parliament Speaker Nuriddin Ismoilov, according to Iranian state broadcaster IRIB. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also attended the funeral ceremony as head of an official delegation, according to a statement from the Pakistani prime minister’s office. Separately, representatives of the Bulgarian Republican Party and members of the country’s parliament also attended the tribute ceremony for the late Iranian supreme leader. Members of the Lebanese group Hezbollah also held a farewell ceremony in honour of Khamenei. Iranian media reported that other foreign delegations were expected to continue arriving throughout the day, while commemorative events would continue in the coming days. The series of tribute ceremonies in Tehran will continue on Saturday (4/7) and Sunday (5/7), before the main funeral procession takes place on Monday (6/7). The funeral procession will then move to the holy city of Qom on Tuesday (7/7). On Wednesday (8/7), ceremonies are scheduled to take place in Iraq, including in Baghdad, Najaf, and Karbala. Ali Khamenei’s body will be received by religious and political figures before being taken to several major Shia holy shrines. The final funeral and burial ceremony is scheduled for Thursday (9/7) at the Imam Ali Reza Shrine Complex in the city of Mashhad, northeastern Iran, one of the holiest sites for Shia Muslims.