DUBAI: Mourners filled Mashhad’s streets for President Ebrahim Raisi’s funeral, captured in footage from Iranian media. Raisi died in a helicopter crash four days earlier.
Raisi, 63, was widely considered a potential successor to 85-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who holds ultimate power in Iran. Mohammad Mokhber, the former first vice president, is serving as interim president until a June election.
As his coffin moved through mourners, they threw flowers, escorting it to the gold-domed Imam Reza shrine, Iran’s holiest Islamic site. Raisi hailed from Mashhad, 900 km east of Tehran.
Earlier, thousands had paid their respects as his coffin was driven in a motorcade through the eastern city of Birjand.
Eight passengers and crew were killed when the helicopter crashed in mountainous terrain near the Azerbaijan border. They included foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.
Iran declared five days of mourning for Raisi, who enforced the hardline policies of his mentor Khamenei. These policies aimed to entrench clerical power and adopt a tough stance on foreign policy.
They scheduled the presidential election for June 28.
A ceremony at the foreign ministry in Tehran commemorated Amirabdollahian, with acting Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani describing him as a martyr who “guaranteed the revolutionary nature of the foreign ministry.”
They buried Amirabdollahian south of Tehran in Rey city’s Shah Abdolazim shrine, a mausoleum for notable Iranian politicians and artists.
Raisi’s burial symbolizes the end of an era for many Iranians. The outpouring of support underscores the deep connection Raisi fostered within the community. Transitioning from mourning to celebration, attendees honor Raisi’s achievements.
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