‘A message to world’: Millions-strong funeral for Raeisi shows Iran’s power, Leader says
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the massive turnout of Iranians for the funeral processions of late President Ebrahim Raeisi demonstrated the strength of the Islamic Republic.
Ayatollah Khamenei made the comments during a Wednesday night visit to the family of the deceased president who lost his life along with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and six of their companions in a helicopter crash in the northwestern Iranian province of East Azarbaijan on Sunday.
The Leader said that the Iranian people’s mass participation in funeral processions for the late president sent a message to the world in support of the Islamic Republic.
Ayatollah Khamenei emphasized that the power of the Islamic Republic is deeply emanating from the Iranian nation.
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The people’s massive attendance at the funeral procession was not hidden from the sight of foreign guests and it manifested the Islamic Republic’s popular roots and its strength, Ayatollah Khamenei said.
The Leader noted that President Raeisi was a symbol of slogans in support of the Islamic Revolution, describing his loss as “heavy and irreparable damage to the country”.
Ayatollah Khamenei also highlighted the expressions of kindness, affection, and devotion shown by people in various cities in response to the tragic helicopter crash. “These gatherings, which included prayers and supplications for the health of the President, showed the people’s strong bond with the Revolution and the principles of the Islamic Revolution,” he explained.
The tragic helicopter crash engulfed Iran in shock and grief and generated a groundswell of support and solidarity from Muslims and non-Muslims across the world.
Ayatollah Khamenei, expressing his deep sorrow over the “martyrdom-like passing”, announced five days of national mourning on Monday.
According to estimates, more than four million people in Tehran and three million people in Mashhad participated in the funeral processions for the late president and his companions. The 8th Iranian president was laid to rest at a tomb at Imam Reza (AS) shrine in Mashhad on Thursday.
