Tehran, March 5: Tehran has deferred the scheduled farewell ceremony for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid ongoing military activity in the region. The event, originally set for Wednesday night at the Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall, was postponed by state authorities without a new date being finalized.
Hojjatoleslam Mahmoudi, head of the Islamic Propagation Council, stated that a three-day public ceremony would eventually allow citizens to pay their respects. However, the funeral procession details remain unannounced as the security situation remains volatile following recent strikes.
“Reports circulating on media regarding potential candidates for leadership selected by Iran’s Assembly of Experts have no official source and are officially denied,” the Iranian Consulate General in Mumbai declared in a statement.
International reactions have been swift, with Moscow attributing the escalation to external military actions. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova affirmed that the responsibility for the widening conflict rests with Washington and Tel Aviv. She maintained that Russia has initiated active diplomatic channels with several Arab leaders to address the crisis.
“It is clear that the geography of armed confrontation continues to spread across the Middle East,” Ms. Zakharova asserted.
The Russian spokesperson also expressed concern regarding the humanitarian impact of the conflict, specifically questioning the casualties among civilians. She noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) must provide an impartial assessment of potential radiological risks following attacks on Iranian territory, stating that any attempts to downplay such threats are unacceptable.
