TEHRAN,July 5. Over 1 million gathered at Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran for collective prayer honoring late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his family . Including those in surrounding streets and squares, total attendance likely hit several million .
Among attendees, Mostafa Ghadiri voiced defiance: "Iran will never surrender to global oppression and arrogance; it will win and avenge the bloodshed of our supreme leader." Huge turnout shows deep reverence many Iranians hold for Khamenei,who recently passed.
Funeral procession slated for July 6,winding through Tehran's main streets before moving to Qom,country's religious heart, for ceremonies July 7. Then,Khamenei’s body heads to Iraq on July 8 for farewell ceremonies in Karbala and Najaf for local Shiite Muslims. Final funeral rites set for July 9 in his hometown of Mashhad.
The Mosalla prayer complex,spanning 600,000 square meters,can host 1 million people. A key site for public gatherings, it draws 11-12 million visitors annually for Friday prayers, exhibitions,rallies supporting government . Since its first Friday prayer in 2013,the mosque has been central…
