Khamenei's funeral was a demonstration of Iran's unity

On July 3, Iran says goodbye to the man who has guided the course of the Islamic Republic for more than 30 years. The funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has already been called the largest in the country's history. Millions of people are coming to say goodbye to the supreme leader.

As Alexey Poltoranin, a correspondent for Izvestia, noted, hundreds of people are meeting the coffin of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Mosalla complex in Tehran. Those gathered throw scarves and shawls to the body of the spiritual leader, then they are thrown back to them, it is a tradition to touch the coffin this way.

"He was like a father to us, his death is a great tragedy. It's hard for me to find the words," confessed one of the Iranians.

This is the largest funeral ceremony in the history of Iran, which will be attended by more than 20 million people from all over the world. Special routes have been prepared for everyone. There are water reserves all along the way, and it's about 35 degrees Celsius in Iran right now. The complex itself is ready to receive anyone who wants to say goodbye to the spiritual leader.

"From six o'clock on Saturday morning until the end of the farewell ceremony, the Mosalla in Tehran will be open around the clock for mourners and will not close until the end of the ceremony," said Iman Attarzadeh, a spokesman for the headquarters for the farewell ceremony.

On July 3, the mosque's doors were opened to Khamenei's family and officials. The published footage shows the Ayatollah's relatives approaching the coffin, including his matchmaker Glamel Haddal. During a strike on a private residence on February 28, his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and granddaughter were killed along with the spiritual leader.

Delegations from Russia, Pakistan, Iraq, Qatar, and more than 100 countries came to see Khamenei off. The Iranian authorities spare no time for the funeral of the spiritual leader — the farewell will take place before July 9 — and no money. According to Western media reports, Tehran uses funerals as a political weapon to demonstrate its indomitable might.

"The scale of this spectacle is intended to send a signal to the world and the enemies of the Islamic Republic: the regime has not only survived a war that is crucial to the existence of the state, but will also persistently perpetuate the memory of its slain leader as a symbol of its resilience," writes CNN.

More than 900 journalists cover the funeral, and the authorities show them not only the ceremony, but also the aftermath of the attacks in Tehran, evidence of what the country has experienced, such as the damaged Golestan Palace, a former royal residence, now a museum.

"The blow hit a building next to the palace. The windows of the marble hall were blown out by the blast wave, the internal walls were damaged, but this marble throne was miraculously preserved," the correspondent said.

To protect the relic, boards were laid over it in advance, and some items were removed, but the damage from the military attack is enormous — almost $ 2 million and more than one year of work.

"So far, no repairs have been carried out, we have only repaired the damage caused, got rid of the fragments and other debris that were here," said Shahid Belekhsti, the manager of the Golestan Palace.

In Iran, they say that the aftermath of the attacks has only brought Iranians together in the face of the threat, and the funeral has become a symbol of national unity. Khamenei was not just a spiritual leader for everyone, but the personification of the Islamic revolution. He was 86 years old, and he had served the Iranian people for almost half of his life. In 1981, an attempt was made on his life: a bomb exploded during his speech in a mosque, the Ayatollah's right hand was paralyzed, but in public he always hid it, kept his hand under a cloak or military uniform.

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Khamenei's farewell and funeral will be held from July 4 to July 9. The main funeral ceremony is scheduled for July 6 in Tehran. The next day, on July 7, mourning events will continue in the Shiite holy city of Qom, and the final ceremony will take place on July 9 in Mashhad.

Ali Khamenei died at the age of 86 on February 28 as a result of a military operation by the United States and Israel in Iran. Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei, was appointed the new supreme leader of Iran on March 9.