Tehran is preparing for its largest political spectacle in 40 years: the funeral procession of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the late Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. Nearly every branch of government, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to municipal authorities, has been mobilized to organize the event. Prominent establishment figures are actively urging Iranians to participate. Mohsen Rezaei, a former advisor to the late leader, stated on social media that the public is preparing for a “final farewell,” calling it “a unique opportunity to create the greatest epic in Iranian history through a million-man procession.” Rezaei claimed the immense turnout would “erase any thoughts of aggression against Iran from the minds of enemies.”
The state intends to leverage the procession as a mass display of allegiance to the ruling order. Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, remarked: “The scale of public support for Iran’s leadership will be clearly demonstrated to the world during the funeral procession in Tehran.” Official projections released by the government estimate an expected turnout of between 12 and 20 million people. Mohammad Qomi, the head of the Islamic Development Organization, predicted an “imminent uproar” that would “shape the future path of Iranian civilization.”
