Leaders and senior representatives from more than 30 countries are traveling to Tehran to attend the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a U.S.-Israel attack on February 28. Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Georgia, and Cuba are among the nations sending high-level delegations. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev will attend as President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy, while Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will lead his country’s delegation. Georgia’s president, Cuba’s higher education minister, and India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Pavitra Margariti are also expected to attend.
Iran’s Deputy Interior Minister Ali Akbar Porjamshidian, head of the funeral organizing committee, said representatives from over 30 countries and religious leaders from more than 90 nations have confirmed participation. Officials expect between 15 and 20 million people to join the multi-day ceremonies, which they describe as the largest funeral in Iran’s history.
Public viewing will take place at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Prayer Complex, followed by a 10-kilometer procession on Monday. Burial ceremonies will continue in Qom, Iraq, and Mashhad through July 9.