The sudden alteration of the route for late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s funeral procession, despite weeks of extensive state propaganda and official announcements, has drawn sharp criticism from figures close to the establishment and regime loyalists. Critics are calling out “mismanagement,” “faulty information dissemination,” and outright “lies” in the execution of the event.
According to the itinerary previously released by Islamic Republic officials, the vehicle carrying Ali Khamenei’s body was scheduled to depart from Damavand Street in eastern Tehran and travel along a lengthy route to Azadi Square. However, on the day of the funeral, the truck carrying the coffins covered only the short distance from the vicinity of Sharif University of Technology to Azadi Square. This left thousands of people, who had been waiting in eastern Tehran since the early hours of the morning, completely unaware of the route change.
Following protests from attendees, Hasan Hasanzadeh, commander of the IRGC’s Mohammad Rasulullah Corps in Greater Tehran and head of the funeral organizing committee, issued an apology to the public. He attributed the route change to “the early and massive turnout of the crowd,” which he claimed had completely blocked the roadways.
