Pakistan PM joins Khamenei funeral as Iran begins weeklong mourning ceremonies
Pakistani premier leads delegation alongside senior officials from Russia, China and Iraq as Iran launches nationwide farewell events
TEHRAN, Iran (MNTV) — Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led a high-level delegation to Tehran to attend the funeral ceremonies for Iran’s martyred Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the Islamic Republic began a week of nationwide mourning events attended by senior officials and foreign dignitaries from across the region and beyond.
Sharif was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Syed Tariq Fatemi, joining delegations from Russia, China, Iraq, Armenia and several other countries at the official ceremony in Tehran.
Khamenei, who led Iran for 37 years, was killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes during the recent war on Iran.
Iranian authorities are staging a weeklong series of funeral processions and religious ceremonies, presenting them as a demonstration of national unity and support for the Islamic Republic following the war.
His body lay in state at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, where Iranian political leaders, senior military commanders, clerics and foreign delegations paid their respects. Coffins carrying several members of Khamenei’s family who were also killed in the strikes were displayed alongside his.
Among the prominent foreign attendees were former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Chinese National People’s Congress Vice Chairman He Wei, Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, senior Armenian officials and relatives of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and senior Hezbollah commander Imad Mughniyeh.
Following ceremonies in Tehran, Khamenei’s coffin will be taken to the religious city of Qom on Tuesday before funeral events in the Iraqi shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday. He is scheduled to be buried on Thursday in Mashhad near the shrine of Imam Reza, one of Shiite Islam’s holiest sites.
Iranian authorities have deployed extensive security across Tehran, with police, military personnel and Basij volunteers stationed around major roads and funeral venues. Officials have also warned the United States and Israel against carrying out any attacks during the mourning period.
The government has arranged transportation, discounted accommodation and temporary lodging in schools, mosques and sports facilities to accommodate the large crowds expected to participate in the funeral processions throughout the week.
The funeral was delayed for several months because of security concerns during the conflict, despite Islamic tradition generally calling for burial shortly after death.
The ceremonies come as Iran’s leadership seeks to project stability following the war, while the country continues to face significant political, economic and social challenges after years of sanctions and domestic unrest.
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