International Delegations Converge on Tehran for Weekly Rites
The massive seven-day commemoration marks the beginning of an extensive series of funeral processions spanning multiple cities across both Iran and Iraq. Khamenei, who was killed at the age of 86 during a joint United States-Israeli air strike on the opening day of the conflict on February 28, is receiving a prolonged farewell after initial burial plans were delayed by the ongoing warfare.
A vast array of regional heads of state are personally attending the Friday events, including Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose administration played a pivotal role in mediating the April ceasefire. They are joined by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili, signaling complex diplomatic alignments amidst the regional crisis.
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Other major global powers have dispatched senior officials to represent their interests, with Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese parliamentary leader He Wei heading their respective delegations. India has sent a specialized delegation including Deputy Foreign Minister Pabitra Margherita and Syed Ata Hasnain, a former military general and the highest-ranking Shia official holding public office in New India.
Security concerns remain paramount throughout the proceedings, as Iran's newly elevated Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will absent himself from the public eye following recent Israeli assassination threats. In response to the tense atmosphere, Iranian military commander Ali Abdollahi issued a stern warning to Washington and Israel, promising 'harsh retaliation' should any foreign aggression disrupt the historic funerary processions.