The day was just dawning on Saturday in Tehran when a crowd of faithful called for “revenge” in front of the coffin of Ali Khamenei, exposed for a public farewell to the face of the Islamic Republic.
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Iranian state television announced around 6 a.m. (2:30 GMT) the start of the late supreme leader’s national funeral in a vast complex that includes a mosque.
“We are not here for a funeral, but for revenge,” cries a laudator in front of crying faithful.
In the crowd, many waved red flags with the inscription “Martyr” or yellow flags of the Lebanese Hezbollah, a movement supported by Tehran.
Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28 at the age of 86, during the bombing of his residence in Tehran by Israeli-American strikes which set the Middle East ablaze.
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Among the faithful, there are many people of conservative appearance: women in chadors and men dressed in black. Some came as a family with their children.
“I never had the chance to see the Supreme Leader up close and I regret that. Today I came to say a last goodbye,” Javad Akbari, 43, a food worker, told AFP.
Two rows of Iranian flags surround Khamenei’s coffin, displayed under the dome of the immense Mosalla, designed for prayers.
The walls of the site are covered with large portraits of Ayatollah Khamenei, at different periods of his life, notably when he accompanied soldiers to the front during the devastating war against Iraq (1980-1988).
“We promised the Supreme Leader to stay with him until the end. All these people are there for him,” because he “sacrificed himself for us,” says Reza, a 37-year-old university professor.
Entrenched camp
Religious and patriotic songs add emotion, while the faithful gather on the ground.
As is tradition in Shiite Islam, many beat their chests as a sign of mourning.
Some chant “Death to America, death to Israel!” », a slogan regularly heard at official gatherings.
Intermittently, water is sprayed on the crowd while temperatures are expected to exceed 35°C during the day.
Many worshipers hold portraits of Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded her father as supreme leader.
Since his appointment in March, the leader has still not appeared publicly and only speaks through press releases attributed to him.
These public funerals are taking place in a context of a fragile ceasefire with the United States and six months after major demonstrations against the cost of living and power.
The center of Tehran looked like an entrenched camp on Saturday: concrete blocks and police cars blocked all the streets leading to the site for around two kilometers.
Iranian authorities say they expect between 15 and 20 million participants in Tehran alone for this national tribute which takes place over six days with a stopover in neighboring Iraq.
On Monday, the remains of Ali Khamenei will cross the streets of Tehran for a final farewell, before the funeral procession reaches the holy city of Qom the next day. The deceased will be buried on July 9 in the holy city of Mashhad (north-eastern Iran), where he was from.
