AIRLINK 81.10 Increased By ▲ 2.55 (3.25%)
BOP 4.82 Increased By ▲ 0.05 (1.05%)
CNERGY 4.09 Decreased By ▼ -0.07 (-1.68%)
DFML 37.98 Decreased By ▼ -1.31 (-3.33%)
DGKC 93.00 Decreased By ▼ -2.65 (-2.77%)
FCCL 23.84 Decreased By ▼ -0.32 (-1.32%)
FFBL 32.00 Decreased By ▼ -0.77 (-2.35%)
FFL 9.24 Decreased By ▼ -0.13 (-1.39%)
GGL 10.06 Decreased By ▼ -0.09 (-0.89%)
HASCOL 6.65 Increased By ▲ 0.11 (1.68%)
HBL 113.00 Increased By ▲ 3.50 (3.2%)
HUBC 145.70 Increased By ▲ 0.69 (0.48%)
HUMNL 10.54 Decreased By ▼ -0.19 (-1.77%)
KEL 4.62 Decreased By ▼ -0.11 (-2.33%)
KOSM 4.12 Decreased By ▼ -0.14 (-3.29%)
MLCF 38.25 Decreased By ▼ -1.15 (-2.92%)
OGDC 131.70 Increased By ▲ 2.45 (1.9%)
PAEL 24.89 Decreased By ▼ -0.98 (-3.79%)
PIBTL 6.25 Decreased By ▼ -0.09 (-1.42%)
PPL 120.00 Decreased By ▼ -2.70 (-2.2%)
PRL 23.90 Decreased By ▼ -0.45 (-1.85%)
PTC 12.10 Decreased By ▼ -0.89 (-6.85%)
SEARL 59.95 Decreased By ▼ -1.23 (-2.01%)
SNGP 65.50 Increased By ▲ 0.30 (0.46%)
SSGC 10.15 Increased By ▲ 0.26 (2.63%)
TELE 7.85 Decreased By ▼ -0.01 (-0.13%)
TPLP 9.87 Increased By ▲ 0.02 (0.2%)
TRG 64.45 Decreased By ▼ -0.05 (-0.08%)
UNITY 26.90 Decreased By ▼ -0.09 (-0.33%)
WTL 1.33 Increased By ▲ 0.01 (0.76%)
BR100 8,052 Increased By 75.9 (0.95%)
BR30 25,581 Decreased By -21.4 (-0.08%)
KSE100 76,707 Increased By 498.6 (0.65%)
KSE30 24,698 Increased By 260.2 (1.06%)
World

Tens of thousands gather for Raisi funeral procession in Tehran

Published May 22, 2024
Mourners attend a funeral ceremony for late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions who were killed in a helicopter crash at Mosalia mosque in Tehran. Photo: AFP
Mourners attend a funeral ceremony for late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his companions who were killed in a helicopter crash at Mosalia mosque in Tehran. Photo: AFP

TEHRAN: Tens of thousands of Iranians flocked to the streets of Tehran Wednesday to join the funeral processions of president Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage, who died in a helicopter crash on Sunday.

In the centre of the city, people holding portraits of Raisi gathered in and around the University of Tehran, where Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is due to lead prayers for Raisi and his companions, including foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.

Raisi’s helicopter crashed Sunday on a fog-shrouded mountainside in northern Iran on the way to the city of Tabriz after the group attended the inauguration of a dam project on the border with Azerbaijan.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi killed in helicopter crash, official says

A huge search and rescue operation was launched, involving help from Turkey, Russia and the European Union. State television announced Raisi’s death early on Monday.

Raisi, who was widely expected to succeed Khamenei as supreme leader, was 63.

 Mourners attend the funeral of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, in Tehran on May 22, 2024. Huge crowds of Iranians thronged the streets of the capital Tehran on May 22 for the funeral procession of president Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage, who died in a helicopter crash. Photo: AFP
Mourners attend the funeral of Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi, in Tehran on May 22, 2024. Huge crowds of Iranians thronged the streets of the capital Tehran on May 22 for the funeral procession of president Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage, who died in a helicopter crash. Photo: AFP

In the capital, huge banners have gone up hailing the late president as “the martyr of service”, while others bade “farewell to the servant of the disadvantaged”.

Death of Raisi could stir race for Khamenei succession?

Tehran residents received phone messages urging them to “attend the funeral of the martyr of service”.

The processions, which will be attended by foreign dignitaries, are planned to set off from the university and head to the vast Enghelab Square in the city centre, according to state media.

Burial in Mashhad

Funeral rites for the late president and his entourage began on Tuesday with tens of thousands of black-clad mourners in attendance in the city of Tabriz and the Shia clerical centre of Qom.

World leaders mourn Ebrahim Raisi death

From Tehran, the bodies will be moved to South Khorasan province before being transferred to Raisi’s home city of Mashhad in the northeast, where he will be buried on Thursday evening after funeral rites at the Imam Reza shrine.

Khamenei, who wields ultimate authority in Iran, has declared five days of national mourning and assigned vice president Mohammad Mokhber, 68, as caretaker president until the June 28 election for Raisi’s successor.

Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri, who was Amir-Abdollahian’s deputy, has been named acting foreign minister.

 Mourners attend the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, in Tehran, on May 22, 2024. Raisi was confirmed dead along with his foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six others on May 20, 2024, after search and rescue teams found their crashed helicopter in a fog-shrouded mountain region in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, sparking mourning in the Islamic republic. Photo: AFP
Mourners attend the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, in Tehran, on May 22, 2024. Raisi was confirmed dead along with his foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six others on May 20, 2024, after search and rescue teams found their crashed helicopter in a fog-shrouded mountain region in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, sparking mourning in the Islamic republic. Photo: AFP

The country’s armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri has ordered an investigation into the cause of the helicopter crash.

Raisi was elected president in 2021, succeeding the moderate Hassan Rouhani at a time when the economy was battered by US sanctions imposed over Iran’s nuclear activities.

Who is Mohammad Mokhber, Iran’s interim president?

The ultra-conservative’s time in office saw mass protests, a deepening economic crisis and unprecedented armed exchanges with arch-enemy Israel.

After his death, global allies Russia and China and regional powers voiced their condolences, as did NATO, while the UN Security Council observed a minute of silence.

Toll rises to 16 in Israeli strike on Iran’s Damascus consulate

Messages of condolence also flooded in from Iran’s allies around the region, including Syria, Palestinian group Hamas and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, both of which are backed by Tehran.

Comments

200 characters