Foreign Delegations Arrive in Tehran for Khamenei's Funeral

Tehran — Official delegations from several countries arrived in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Friday to attend the funeral ceremonies for the former Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Khamenei, according to Iranian media.

Ali Khamenei was killed during a joint United States and Israel attack on Iran on 28 February, an event that triggered several weeks of war and heightened tensions throughout the region.

High-ranking officials arriving in Tehran include Iraqi President Nizar Amidi, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbiusi along with an Iraqi parliamentary delegation, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President of the Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani, and Uzbekistan Parliament Speaker Nuriddin Ismoilov, according to the Iranian state broadcaster, IRIB.

Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif is also present at the funeral ceremony as the head of the official delegation, according to a statement from the Pakistani Prime Minister’s office.

Separately, representatives from the Bulgarian Republican Party and members of the country’s parliament also attended the tribute ceremonies for the late Iranian Supreme Leader.

Members of the Lebanese group Hezbollah also held farewell ceremonies as a mark of respect to Khamenei.

Iranian media reported that other foreign delegations are expected to continue arriving throughout the day, while the memorial events will continue over the next few 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). Subsequently, the funeral procession will proceed to the holy city of Qom on Tuesday (7/7).

Then, on Wednesday (8/7), ceremonies are scheduled to take place in Iraq, including in Baghdad, Najaf, and Karbala. The remains of Ali Khamenei will be received by religious and political figures before being taken to several major Shia holy shrines.

The funeral ceremonies and final burial are scheduled to take place on Thursday (9/7) at the Imam Reza Shrine Complex in the city of Mashhad, in north-eastern Iran, which is one of the most sacred sites for Shia Muslims.