TEHRAN (Dunya News) - Iran has started preparations for the burial of late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and a large number of people are expected on his funeral. According to an Iranian news agency, Tehran’s Deputy Mayor for Social and Cultural Affairs, Mohammad Amin Tavakkoli-Zadeh, said that three days of public ceremonies would be held before the burial, allowing members of the public to pay their respects to the late leader.
Tavakkoli-Zadeh stated that following the conclusion of the public ceremonies, funeral prayers would be offered, after which a procession would begin.
He added that the procession in Tehran could continue for at least 24 hours.
He further said that the ceremonies would subsequently continue in Iran’s major religious centers, Qom and Mashhad.
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According to him, in line with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s wishes, burial is expected to take place near the Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad.
Iranian officials reportedly believe that the event could rank among the largest public gatherings in the country’s modern history.
Preparations in Tehran are said to be designed to accommodate between 15 million and 20 million participants.
According to the officials, overall supervision of the arrangements would be handled by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), while municipal authorities and other state institutions would assist with logistics and public services.