Dozens of thousands of Iranians gathered today to honor President Ebrahim Raisi, whose death in an air accident on Sunday has led the country into a period of political uncertainty ahead of the elections to choose his successor on June 28.
The ceremonies, which will culminate on Thursday, began early this morning in Tabriz, the major city in northwestern Iran near where the helicopter carrying Raisi, the Foreign Minister, and six others crashed. Authorities have declared a five-day mourning period. The funeral ceremonies will continue tonight and tomorrow, Wednesday, in the capital, and will be concluded on Thursday in Mashhad, in northeastern Iran, the birthplace of Raisi, where his body will be buried. In the center of Tabriz, a huge crowd, most dressed in black, flooded the central square holding flags and portraits of the 63-year-old president and the other seven victims.
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“Members of the government who had the honor to serve this beloved president, this hardworking president, pledge to our beloved people and our leader to follow the path of these martyrs,” said Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, addressing the crowd.
After the transfer of the bodies to Tehran tonight, Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader of the country, will lead the prayers at the funeral service tomorrow, Wednesday, a day that will be a holiday for Iranians. Many countries, such as Russia, Turkey, and Iraq, have announced that they will be represented at the funeral, but not at the level of heads of state. The body of Raïssi will be transported Thursday morning to South Khorasan and will be buried in the country’s main place of worship, the mausoleum of the Shiite Imam Reza.
