Ayatollah Khamenei Leads Funeral Prayers for Late President Ebrahim Raisi and Entourage

Tehran, The Gulf Observer: Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei led the prayers over the bodies of the late President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage in a solemn ceremony held at the University of Tehran on Wednesday morning. This marked the beginning of a funeral procession through the capital city.

The ceremony saw the participation of innumerable Iranian citizens, alongside heads of government branches and military officials, paying their respects to the late President and his companions.

In the afternoon, over 40 high-ranking foreign delegations are expected to attend a commemoration ceremony in Tehran to honor President Raisi and his entourage. Among these delegations, approximately 10 will be led by heads of state, nearly 20 by ministers, and the remaining by various dignitaries, including parliament speakers and special envoys.

The bodies of President Raisi and his companions were brought to Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport on Tuesday following a funeral in the northwestern city of Tabriz. The tragic incident occurred on Sunday when their helicopter crashed in the mountainous areas of the Varzaghan region. The group was returning from a dam opening ceremony near Iran’s border with the Republic of Azerbaijan. The crash claimed the lives of President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, Tabriz Friday Prayer Leader Mohammad Ali Ale-Hashem, Governor of East Azerbaijan Province Malek Rahmati, as well as two bodyguards, two pilots, and a crew member.

Expressions of condolence have poured in from heads of state, as well as religious and resistance figures worldwide, mourning the loss of these top Iranian officials. The international community’s response underscores the significant impact of President Raisi’s leadership and the tragic loss experienced by Iran.