Attending martyred Leader’s funeral is as vital as fighting Zionists: Iraqi resistance leader

Akram al-Kaabi, who was among the resistance leaders attending the farewell ceremony at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla prayer complex on Saturday, said in a message that the historic turnout sends a powerful message to the “oppressive enemy”.

“Participation in the funeral of the martyred Leader, who was martyred at the hands of the Yazid of our time – America and the Israeli regime – is no less important than participation in the war against the Zionists on the battlefield,” al-Kaabi said.

He added that “your million-strong presence is a thorn in the eye of the oppressive enemy, and your chants of ‘Death to America’ and ‘Death to Israel’ are arrows of truth that target their conspiracies, lies and criminality.”

Millions of Iranians and guests from across the Muslim world have gathered in Tehran to pay tribute to Ayatollah Khamenei, who was assassinated on February 28 in a US-Israeli airstrike on the first day of the war of aggression against Iran.

The funeral, expected to draw up to 15‑20 million mourners in Tehran alone, has drawn delegations from dozens of countries, including Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and other nations.

Despite an intensive US pressure campaign to dissuade countries from attending, representatives from over 100 nations are present.

The funeral ceremonies, which will continue over several days, will culminate in burial at the holy shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, in accordance with the martyred Leader’s will.