According to N12 journalist Sapir Lipkin, IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani and IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi are attending the farewell ceremony for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei this morning, July 5. Their presence underscores continued public displays of loyalty by senior IRGC figures during the succession period.
The farewell ceremony for Khamenei's body continues a series of events following the Supreme Leader's death. As The Zioneer reported earlier, IRGC Aerospace Force commander Seyed Majid Mousavi bid farewell to the body on Friday. The presence of Quds Force chief Qaani and IRGC commander Vahidi — two of the most senior figures in the IRGC — underscores the organization's efforts to display unity and loyalty during the succession process. Vahidi made his first public appearance since February at Khamenei's funeral on Thursday, as The Zioneer reported. Qaani, who has been the subject of reports that he is expected to step down as Quds Force commander (The Zioneer, June 21), remains active in public ceremonies.
3 developments
- StrongRed revenge flags raised at Khamenei funeral amid chants of 'no compromise, no surrender'
- StrongRare photo shows IRGC Quds Force chief Qaani pressed against wall beside Khamenei's empty chair at Ashura ceremony
- DevelopingIRGC Aerospace Force Commander Mousavi Bids Farewell to Khamenei's Body
- DevelopingImages from Khamenei's funeral show recurring motif of Khamenei and Soleimani
Source and signal
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- Internal intake