Thousands of Iranians gathered across the country on Thursday to pay tribute to the late supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly four decades before his death in US-Israeli strikes that triggered the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba, has assumed leadership but has not appeared in public since the outbreak of the war, and was reportedly absent from Thursday’s memorial ceremonies.
State television footage showed large crowds holding portraits of the late leader in cities including Tehran, Urmia in the northwest, and Gorgan in the northeast.
The national tribute began at 9:40 a.m. local time (6:10 GMT), marking the hour Khamenei was killed on February 28 at his Tehran residence alongside senior Iranian officials.
The attack sparked a regional conflict, with Iran retaliating against US interests in the Gulf and targeting Israel. Due to the ongoing war, a formal state funeral for Khamenei has not yet been held.
— AFP
