Hezbollah, Hamas and Houthi officials attend funeral ceremonies for Iran's Khamenei
Tens of thousands gathered in Tehran on Saturday for the funeral of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with delegations from Tehran-backed militant groups including Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis in attendance.
On Saturday, tens of thousands of mourners filled the Grand Mosalla religious complex in Tehran to bid farewell to Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed along with family members and top officials in a US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, triggering a regional war. The funeral drew representatives of Tehran's allied militant groups, often referred to as the "axis of resistance."
Hezbollah's delegation was led by senior official and former minister Mohammed Fneish, while Hamas sent its political bureau chief Mohammed Darwish, along with other members including Bassem Naim. The leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, and senior Houthi member Dhaif Allah al-Shami also attended. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with the envoys, according to state media.
After a day lying in state for dignitaries, Khamenei's coffin, along with those of his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and 14-month-old granddaughter, was displayed under glass. Authorities expect 15 million people to participate in funeral processions over the coming days. On Monday, a massive procession is planned in central Tehran, followed by ceremonies in the seminary city of Qom, then in Iraq's holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. The remains will return to Iran on Thursday for a procession in Mashhad, where Khamenei will be buried near the tomb of a medieval Shiite imam.
