Overview
- A long, state‑organized procession carrying Ayatollah Ali Chamenei’s casket began Monday in Tehran, moving east to west along the capital’s main artery toward Asadi Tower and running for about ten to twelve hours under a closed airspace.
- Authorities deployed tight security, set temporary flight restrictions and stressed crowd control to avoid a repeat of the deadly 1989 funeral crush while state TV showed large, closely managed crowds lining the route.
- Officials plan to move the casket to Qom on Tuesday and to Shiite shrines in Iraq on Wednesday before a burial in Mashhad scheduled for Thursday, with state media reporting multi‑day ceremonies and turnout targets in the millions.
- Mojtaba Chamenei, named successor after his father’s death in February, has not appeared publicly since and is described by state television as ‘war‑injured,’ leaving his role in the ceremonies and his visibility as leader unclear.
- Many mourners chanted for revenge and displayed anti‑U.S. and anti‑Israeli slogans, a development that could strain the fragile ceasefire and the June framework agreement that paused weeks of direct fighting.