Thousands marched in Iran on Thursday for the final funeral rites of President Ebrahim Raisi. He will be laid to rest in his hometown after dying in a helicopter crash.
Raisi, 63, died on Sunday with his foreign minister and six others. Their helicopter crashed in the mountainous northwest while returning from a dam inauguration.
In Birjand, thousands marched, holding placards of Raisi and waving flags, to bid him farewell.
He will be laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, where he was born.
Large photos of Raisi, black flags, and Shiite symbols filled the streets of Mashhad, especially around the shrine.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers for Raisi, kneeling before the coffins of the crash victims.
Among them was Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who will be buried Thursday in the Shah Abdol-Azim shrine in Shahr-Rey, south of the capital. Iranian officials and foreign dignitaries paid their respects to the late diplomat at a ceremony in Tehran before the burial.
Tunisian President Kais Saied and Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani attended a ceremony for Raisi on Wednesday. Around 60 countries participated. The European Union was absent, but Belarus and Serbia sent representatives.
Khamenei declared five days of national mourning and appointed Vice President Mohammad Mokhber as caretaker president until the June 28 election for Raisi’s successor.
A presidential election was not expected until next year. Sunday’s crash has raised concerns about Raisi’s successor.
After his death, Russia, China, and NATO sent condolences. The UN Security Council observed a minute’s silence. Condolences also came from Iran’s allies, including the Syrian government, Hamas, and Hezbollah.
