Iran’s president will be laid to rest in his hometown on Thursday, capping days of funeral events after he was killed in a helicopter crash that left one of the country’s most high-profile leaders without him.
The late President Ibrahim Raisi will be buried at the Imam Reza Shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam. Previously, his body was flown from the capital Tehran to the eastern city of Birjand to join the funeral procession. Photos and videos released by state news media showed the crowd in Birjand was smaller than the tens of thousands who had gathered on the streets of Tehran a day earlier.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared five days of mourning after Mr Raisi, 63, and Iran’s Foreign Minister Hussein Amir Abdullahian, 60, along with five others The helicopter they were traveling in crashed into a mountainous area near an Iranian city and they died.
Ayatollah Khamenei led funeral prayers for Raisi and the other crash victims on Wednesday before the coffins were carried in a massive procession through Tehran’s crowded streets. A string of foreign dignitaries – including the leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah, two Iran-backed militant groups – also came to pay their respects. Some held private talks with the supreme leader, who visited Lacey’s family that evening, state news media reported.
Since the crash, Iranian authorities have tried to appear stable, stressing that the country’s governance would not be affected.
Raisi, a hardline cleric who grew up during the country’s Islamic revolution, is seen as a potential successor to 85-year-old Ayatollah Khamenei. Held on June 28), may also change the dynamics surrounding the selection of Ayatollah Khamenei’s successor.
Lacey’s family flew to Mashhad on Thursday morning ahead of his funeral, the state news agency reported. According to reports, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi has also arrived in the holy city.
A separate ceremony was held in Tehran for Mr. Amir Abdullahian. He will be buried in the city on Thursday after a ceremony at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, state news media reported.
