Mourners Throng Funeral Procession In Tehran For Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

TEHRAN, Iran — Mourners dressed successful achromatic flooded into Iran’s superior Monday for a convoy arsenic portion of nan ceremonial of nan precocious Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, pinch throngs of group calling for nan decease of President Trump.

Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin, and those of his family members who were killed Feb. 28 successful an airstrike astatine nan commencement of nan warfare launched by Israel and nan United States, sat aboard a motortruck dressed up to lucifer nan ornamental grating that surrounds nan shrine of an imam. The monolithic turnout was encouraged by Iran’s theocracy arsenic a motion of strength, and it came arsenic nan Islamic Republic negotiates pinch nan U.S. complete a imperishable extremity to nan war.

Helicopter images aired connected Iranian authorities tv showed a monolithic crowd stretching from Tehran’s Azadi, aliases Freedom, Square for miles down a multilane thoroughfare of nan aforesaid name. The crowd appeared to beryllium larger than nan 1 that turned retired for nan 2020 convoy for nan precocious Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, which drew complete 1 cardinal people.

Authorities offered nary contiguous crowd count arsenic nan motortruck crept down nan street. But group alongside nan motortruck and elsewhere connected nan way carried placards, signs and banners calling for Trump’s death.

“Today that we are present for nan ceremonial for our leader, it’s a very reliable day,” mourner Fatima Hassan said. “We are not present to opportunity goodbye to him. We are present for revenge. And we will return revenge.”

Sea of mourners stitchery for Khamenei

Mourners reached retired to touch nan truck, and immoderate threw scarves and different items for attendants to brushwood against nan coffin, a communal believe successful Iran seen arsenic a blessing. Attendants, immoderate connected nan ladders of occurrence trucks, sprayed misted h2o crossed nan crowds to cool them successful nan heat.

Authorities appeared concerned astir nan dangers of having a ample crowd alongside nan procession, pinch officials connected loudspeakers urging nan nationalist to locomotion slowly, not to push and to enactment to nan edges of nan street.

The coffins were taken done nan streets of Tehran connected a astir 12-hour travel to Mehrabad International Airport, wherever authorities tv footage showed a motortruck approaching pinch nan caskets.

Authorities person unopen down streets, airspace and regular life for nan mourning, which began Saturday and will extremity Thursday arsenic Khamenei is buried astatine nan Imam Reza shrine successful Mashhad, his birthplace. Khamenei was 86.

“This is nan past clip I americium seeing him,” said a weeping Maryam Alizadeh. “Our procreation lived pinch him for decades.”

Calls for Trump’s decease turn arsenic nan ceremonial goes on

As nan ceremonial has gone on, however, location person progressively been calls from mourners to avenge Khamenei’s death. Mourners and nan signs they transportation person called for nan sidesplitting of some Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Such signs were seen again Monday on nan procession’s route, pinch 1 effigy of Trump being hanged.

“We are present to show that his way will continue, and each azygous 1 of these group will proceed down his way pinch clenched fists, and soon we will surely avenge his decease against nan U.S and Israel,” said mourner Sahar Zaraatgar.

U.S. national authorities person been search Iranian threats against Trump and different management officials for years, stemming from Trump’s ordering nan 2020 sidesplitting of Soleimani, who led nan elite Quds Force. Iran has many times denied plotting to termination Trump, though hard-line propaganda footage agelong has suggested Trump was successful Tehran’s crosshairs.

Trump, meanwhile, promised to destruct Iran’s civilization during nan war, among different threats.

Negotiations complete nan warfare stay connected hold

The U.S. is eager to property up pinch negotiations pinch Iran aimed astatine afloat reopening nan Strait of Hormuz, rolling backmost its disputed atomic programme and reaching a imperishable extremity to nan war. Talks look to beryllium connected clasp until aft nan burial.

The ceremonial was successful portion a show of unity arsenic Iran demands a measurement of power complete nan strait, a captious waterway for world power that it unopen down during nan war. The U.S. has rejected those demands, and nan sides are divided connected different cardinal issues, including Iran’s atomic programme and nan conflict betwixt Israel and nan Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah successful Lebanon.

Iran’s caller ultimate leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has yet to make an quality successful nan ceremonial ceremonies, which are unfolding complete respective days. He is believed to beryllium successful hiding aft reportedly being wounded successful nan airstrike that killed his father.

At nan tallness of nan war, earlier an April ceasefire, Israel targeted apical Iranian leaders, successful astatine slightest 1 lawsuit apt utilizing their nationalist quality to hole their position. It has besides threatened to termination nan younger Khamenei.

Karimi and Gambrell constitute for nan Associated Press. Gambrell reported from Dubai.