QOM, Iran — Funeral ceremonies for Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei entered their fourth day on Tuesday, drawing huge crowds to the holy city of Qom as the country continued its nationwide farewell ahead of his burial later this week.
Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin, along with the coffins of four family members killed in the February 28 US-Israeli airstrike, arrived in Qom by helicopter on Monday evening after four days of mourning ceremonies in Tehran that drew millions of mourners.
Funeral prayers began early Tuesday at Jamkaran Mosque, one of Shia Islam’s holiest sites, before a large procession moved along Prophet Mohammad Boulevard toward the Shrine of Fatima Masumeh, one of Iran’s most revered religious landmarks.
Aerial footage broadcast by Iranian state television showed major roads surrounding the mosque and shrine filled with mourners carrying Iranian flags, portraits of Khamenei and banners honouring the late leader. Participants also chanted anti-US and anti-Israel slogans while renewing calls for retaliation over the strike that killed him.
Millions of people have already participated in the state funeral since ceremonies began in Tehran on July 3. The Tehran phase of the funeral concluded on Monday before the commemorations moved to Qom for Tuesday’s ceremonies, which are expected to attract hundreds of thousands more mourners.
During the Tehran processions, mourners threw flower petals onto the coffins as they passed through packed streets. Among them was the small coffin of Khamenei’s 14-month-old granddaughter, who was also killed in the February airstrike, according to Iranian state media.
“The US and Israel aimed to divide Iran. But our leader prevented that division. Iranians are here to appreciate what he has done for Iran,” one mourner, identified as Hamid, told Al Jazeera during the Tehran procession.
Another mourner, Marzieh, said people had gathered to renew their loyalty to the late leader.
“We came here to tell our martyred leader that his blood is not wasted. We came here to renew our allegiance to him,” she said.
Foreign delegations from around 100 countries have continued to participate in the funeral ceremonies. Iranian officials say the international attendance includes heads of state and government, parliamentary speakers, ministers, special envoys, religious scholars and political figures from across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and parts of Europe.
Senior officials from countries including Pakistan, Iraq, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Russia, China, India and Afghanistan were among those attending the ceremonies, which Iranian authorities have described as one of the country’s largest international gatherings in recent years.
The absence of Khamenei’s son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, from the public ceremonies has continued to attract attention, although other members of the family have participated in the events.
Heavy security remained in place across Qom on Tuesday, with road closures and crowd-control measures introduced as large numbers of mourners continued arriving throughout the day. No major security incidents were reported.
Following the ceremonies in Qom, Khamenei’s body is scheduled to be transferred to Iraq on Wednesday for additional commemorations before returning to Iran for final funeral rites and burial on July 9 in the northeastern city of Mashhad at the shrine of Imam Ali al-Ridha, the eighth Imam revered by Shia Muslims.
The funeral, originally scheduled for March, was postponed because of the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Iranian officials said security concerns and the logistical challenge of organizing one of the largest state funerals in the country’s history contributed to the delay.
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