Tehran. A huge crowd gathered this Wednesday within the middle of Tehran for the funeral procession of Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi, who died on Sunday in a helicopter accident.
“I am unhappy. I got here to attempt to heal my coronary heart,” stated Maryam, a 41-year-old instructor who got here along with her husband and son from a metropolis south of Tehran.
Iran’s Supreme Chief, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, led the prayer throughout the ceremony to bid farewell to Raisi and the seven others killed within the accident, together with Overseas Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian.
With Raisi, “we have now misplaced an distinctive character. He was an excellent brother. An efficient, competent, honest and critical official,” declared Khamenei.
Khamenei, who’s the highest-ranking authority in Iran, prostrated himself earlier than the coffins of the deceased lined with the inexperienced, white and purple flag, image of the Islamic Republic.
The Ayatollah led the ceremony on the College of Tehran escorted by the primary leaders of the Shiite clergy, members of the federal government, together with Mohammad Mokhber, designated as interim president till elections are held on June 28.
Additionally current have been the senior officers of the military and the Revolutionary Guards, and the top of the political arm of the Palestinian Islamist motion Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, and the quantity two of the Lebanese Hezbollah, Naim Qassem.
“We’re satisfied that the Islamic Republic of Iran will proceed to assist the Palestinian individuals,” declared Haniyeh, who spoke briefly, amid shouts from the group calling for: “Loss of life to Israel.”
These actions, members of the so-called axis of resistance in opposition to Israel, are supported by Iran within the context of the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
Tens of 1000’s of individuals gathered on the primary avenues of Tehran, the place a vacation was declared this Wednesday and residents acquired messages on their telephones urging them to attend the funeral.
Many raised big banners honoring the late president and waved Iranian flags, AFP journalists famous.
The accident occurred on Sunday in a mountainous space in northwest Iran when the delegation was on its option to the town of Tabriz after inaugurating a dam on the border with Azerbaijan.
The rescue operation, made tough by rain and fog, concerned dozens of groups and had the assistance of Turkey, Russia and the European Union.
On Monday morning, state tv introduced the demise of the 63-year-old president, elected in 2021 and thought of one of many favorites to succeed Khamenei, 85.
Burial on Thursday in his hometown
After the demise, Khamenei declared 5 days of nationwide mourning and the funeral for the president and his entourage started on Tuesday with tens of 1000’s of individuals attending the switch of the coffins from Tabriz to the Shiite holy metropolis of Qom.
From Tehran, the stays of Raisi and his entourage will probably be transferred to South Khorasan province and from there to Mashhad, Raisi’s hometown, the place he will probably be buried on Thursday.
Mass funerals are a part of a deep-rooted custom for the reason that founding of the Islamic Republic in Iran and have a political overtone. In 2020, an immense crowd bid farewell to Common Qassem Soleimani, an essential commander of the Revolutionary Guards killed in a US assault.
After Abdollahian’s demise, the place of Overseas Minister will probably be occupied by Ali Bagheri, till now deputy to the chancellor and major negotiator of the Iranian nuclear program.
The chief of employees of Iran’s armed forces ordered an investigation into the reason for the accident.
The ultra-conservative Raisi succeeded the average Hassan Rouhani in 2021 at a tough time for the nation’s economic system, decimated by the sanctions imposed by Washington in opposition to the Iranian nuclear program.
Throughout his mandate he confronted a wave of protests in 2022 following the demise of the younger Mahsa Amini in police custody, an financial disaster aggravated by US sanctions and a rise in tensions together with his sworn enemy, Israel, as a result of conflict in Loop.
Iran’s allies comparable to Russia, China and Venezuela expressed their condolences, as did regional powers and actions associated to Tehran.
#Massive #crowd #bids #farewell #President #Raisi #funeral #procession #Iran
– 2024-05-28 15:52:00
