Iran’s Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has urged millions of Iranians to participate in the funeral of the late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, describing the ceremony as an opportunity to honour his legacy and send a strong message to the international community.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Ghalibaf called on citizens to attend the funeral, which is scheduled to begin on Saturday, saying the gathering should reflect the nation’s resolve following Khamenei’s death in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes at the start of the recent Middle East conflict.
“I invite all the Iranian people to write a glorious page in the history of Islamic Iran through your presence.
“The nation’s call for vengeance must ring in the ears of the whole world,” Ghalibaf said.
The funeral, which was postponed during the height of the conflict, comes as Iran and the United States observe a fragile ceasefire after reaching a preliminary agreement aimed at ending hostilities.
Khamenei, regarded as the spiritual leader of millions of Shiite Muslims, was killed at the age of 86 on February 28 during strikes on his compound in central Tehran on the opening day of the war.
The main funeral ceremony will be held at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla, a major religious and state venue where his body will lie in state. The remains of several of his relatives killed during the conflict will also be displayed.
Iranian authorities estimate that between 15 and 20 million people could attend the funeral, potentially making it the
