Ayatollah Ali Khamenei: Allies gather in Iran for the Supreme Leader’s funeral

ISTANBUL — Four months after its supreme leader was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes, Iran’s government began a week of elaborate events to mourn and bury Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sending a message of stability and unity to the world — and to its enemies.

Images published on Friday by Iranian state media showed Iranian and foreign officials, militia members and religious leaders walking to and standing before the casket of Khamenei, who was killed on Feb. 28. Some visitors bowed solemnly, prayed or cried.

It sets the stage for a series of ceremonies, which will continue on Saturday with a public viewing of Khamenei’s casket. After a procession in Tehran on Monday, his body will be taken to holy Shiite cities in Iraq before he is buried in his hometown, Mashhad, in Iran.

The casket, decorated with the Iranian flag, was topped by a black turban and a black-and-white checked scarf like one he often wore, which in Iran is associated with the country’s Basij militia force. The black turban signifies that he was a cleric descended from the Prophet Muhammad.

Friday’s ceremony took place in Tehran’s Grand Mosalla, a large prayer complex where Khamenei gave many important addresses during his reign.

While Iran’s government is seeking to portray Khamenei as a beloved and respected leader of global stature, many Iranians may view the expensive, dayslong funeral with discontent or anger.

Over 37 years of authoritarian rule, Khamenei harshly repressed dissent and allowed economic mismanagement and corruption to fester in Iran.

The long delays to his burial, more than four months after his killing, reflect the extraordinary circumstances Iran has faced this year: bombardment by the United States and Israel, with uncertainty over whether the government could ensure a secure event.

Khamenei was a constant presence in Iran’s political life for decades. Some of his supporters said that his killing remained difficult for them to process.

“I still cannot believe he’s gone,” said Dunya Mohamadi, 24, who was in central Tehran on Friday with her 10-month-old son, Ali. She said she had traveled with her family from Malard, about 24 miles west of the capital, to attend the ceremonies. “My heart wants to mourn as best as I can,” she said.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

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