Iran warned the US and Israel against fresh attacks before Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral ceremonies, while leaders urged millions to attend nationwide mourning processions across Iran.
WEBDESK – MEDIABITES
Ali Khamenei’s death has further escalated tensions in the Middle East as Iranian military and political leaders issued fresh warnings to the United States and Israel ahead of nationwide funeral processions scheduled to begin on July 4.
According to Iranian state media, Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned Washington and Tel Aviv against launching any attack on Iran during the mourning period.
“We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the US and the Zionist regime (Israel), to avoid any miscalculation and to think about the harsh retaliation our armed forces would make to any threat and aggression against our country,” Abdollahi said in a statement carried by state media.
Khamenei was reportedly killed in airstrikes on the opening day of the war, triggering massive political and public reaction across Iran and the wider region.
Iranian authorities announced that funeral processions for Khamenei will begin in Tehran on July 4 and continue until July 9, concluding with his burial in his hometown of Mashhad. Additional ceremonies are also expected to take place in Qom and Iraq during the mourning period.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator, urged citizens to participate in large numbers in the funeral ceremonies, describing public turnout as a response to what he called US-Israeli aggression.
“I invite all the Iranian people to write a glorious page in the history of Islamic Iran through your presence at the funeral ceremonies,” Ghalibaf said in a statement.
“The nation’s call for vengeance must ring in the ears of the whole world,” he added.
The developments come amid heightened regional tensions and fears of further military escalation following the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.
