A "ghost" at Khamenei's funeral

2026-07-07 21:42:44Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

A "ghost" at Khamenei's funeral

Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has appeared publicly at the funeral procession of Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei, despite several Iranian state-affiliated media outlets reporting in the early days of the war that he had been killed in a missile attack near his residence.

Ahmadinejad was seen among millions of black-clad citizens who attended the grand ceremony in Tehran, making his first public appearance since the start of the war.

For months there was no official confirmation or denial of his fate, which had fueled speculation that he had been killed during the Israeli-American attacks.

His reappearance came a day after Iran's two other living former presidents, Mohammad Khatami and Hassan Rouhani, missed the ceremony, with critics claiming they had not been invited.

Khamenei's funeral turned into one of the largest ceremonies in Iranian history. Authorities said up to 20 million people gathered in Tehran.

The procession was also attended by President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and other senior regime leaders.

During the ceremony, banners calling for revenge and images of US President Donald Trump were seen, while the crowd chanted that Khamenei's path would continue.

The coffin of the supreme leader was transported through the main streets of Tehran, in a procession that lasted about 12 hours, before heading to the city of Mashhad, where he will be buried after the end of official ceremonies.


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