Thousands of people who traveled from across Iran and waited two days along the original funeral route were left unable to see the coffin of the late Supreme Leader after authorities changed the plan at the last moment, according to reports. The procession began near Azadi Tower rather than from east Tehran, leaving many in the crowd disappointed.
Thousands of mourners who traveled from across Iran were unable to see the coffin of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei after authorities changed the funeral procession route at the last moment, according to reports circulating on Iranian social media. The original plan called for the procession to begin in east Tehran and proceed to Azadi Tower, but authorities moved the starting point to near the tower itself, bypassing crowds that had gathered along the original route for two days. The change was reported by The Zioneer at 12:15 on Sunday, alongside the decision to transport the coffin by helicopter over the crowds after several metro stations collapsed under the weight of the massive turnout.
As The Zioneer reported earlier on Sunday, the funeral procession for Khamenei had begun in Tehran with organizers expecting up to 20 million participants. By 12:15, video footage emerged showing the coffin being driven through massive crowds, first from a single source via N12 correspondent Sapir Lipkin, and later from ynet. However, the route change was announced at the same time, and by early Monday morning, reports indicated that thousands who had waited for two days along the original route were left disappointed. The development drew criticism from channels affiliated with the IRGC, who reported the anger and disappointment of participants.
Attributed background from The Zioneer's reporting over the past several days indicates that the regime had been preparing for a massive state event, with foreign delegations arriving in Tehran as early as Friday, July 3, and estimates of 20 million attendees from Tehran alone. On Sunday, an Iranian channel reported over 9 million at the funeral prayers, while an AI analysis estimated only 250,000, with a margin of error of 50,000.
What remains open: The exact number of mourners who missed the coffin due to the route change has not been independently verified, and it is unclear whether any official explanation for the last-minute change has been provided by Iranian authorities.
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