The funeral ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have begun at the Musalla compound in Tehran, four months after his elimination. IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, who resurfaced this week after months underground, attended the official funeral event, according to reports.
The funeral ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei officially began this morning (Friday) at the Musalla compound in Tehran. IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi, who resurfaced on Thursday after four months underground, was reported to be in attendance at the official funeral event.
The thread of reports on Vahidi's emergence began on Thursday, Jul 2, at 15:04 Jerusalem, when an initial unverified Telegram post stated he appeared at a ceremony to organize the funeral. A subsequent post reported he met with President Pezeshkian and Speaker Ghalibaf for funeral preparations. By later Thursday, more corroborated reports from Abu Ali Express described Vahidi as a "casket stroker" — a reference to the inner circle managing the funeral process. That evening, Amichai Stein of i24NEWS reported a second public appearance in 24 hours. The source quality shifted from a single unverified channel to multiple newsrooms.
As The Zioneer reported, the multi-city funeral procession is expected to conclude with burial in Mashhad on July 9. Tehran had completed preparations for the massive funeral on Wednesday, Jul 1. Foreign delegations have arrived in the capital as the Islamic Republic begins a week of official mourning.
It remains unclear whether Vahidi's public re-emergence signals a broader normalization of the leadership's public posture, or whether it is solely tied to the funeral proceedings. The quote attributed to him on Thursday — "the job is not finished" — has not been independently verified against an audio or video recording.
10 developments
- StrongIRGC Commander Leaves Bunker for Senior Meeting Ahead of Khamenei Funeral, First Time Since Operation Roaring Lion
- StrongIRGC chief of staff says Khamenei burial site being prepared at Khomeini mausoleum
- StrongJoint funeral reported for Khamenei and his daughter-in-law, who died in strike that killed him
- DevelopingIranian regime publishes official funeral schedule for Khamenei, burial set for July 9
Source and signal
- Internal intake