CDF Munir arrives in Tehran for funeral of assassinated Iranian supreme leader Khamenei
ONP Summary
Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme Leader for 37 years, was killed in February airstrikes. His state funeral is set to begin July 4 with week-long ceremonies expected to draw millions of mourners and international delegations from over 100 countries.
Progressive: Progressive outlets frame the funeral as a moment of defiance and retaliation against foreign aggression, emphasizing national mobilization and collective grievance.
Moderate: Centrist media describe the event as a massive state ceremony projecting Iran's institutional strength and demonstrating the state's capacity for large-scale organization.
Conservative: Conservative outlets focus on factual details—funeral timeline, expected attendance numbers, and international diplomatic participation from dozens of countries.
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Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday to attend the funeral of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in a US-Israeli strike on February 28, state broadcaster PTV reports.
CDF Munir was received by Iranian officials and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who was already present in Tehran, an X post by PTV said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also departed for Iran to attend the funeral earlier in the day, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.
In a post on social media platform X, the PMO said the premier was accompanied by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PPP Secretary General Nayyer Bukhari, and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
“The prime minister will express heartfelt condolences to the Iranian leadership and the bereaved families and reaffirm Pakistan’s complete solidarity with the brotherly Iranian nation in this hour of grief,” it said.
The PMO said that after wrapping up his visit to Iran, the premier would proceed onward to Turkiye.
Earlier, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani arrived in Tehran with a high-level delegation to attend the funeral prayers and burial, state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) reported. Iranian officials received the Pakistani delegation upon its arrival in Tehran.
China, Afghanistan and Iran’s neighbours in the Caucasus region have said they will also be sending representatives.
The funeral ceremonies for the supreme leader will pass through a series of locations — from the seat of power in Tehran to the holy cities of Qom, Karbala, Najaf and finally Mashhad — that reflect the religious, political and ideological pillars of the Islamic republic.
His funeral, initially delayed at the height of the Middle East war, is taking place as Iran and the US uphold a fragile ceasefire after signing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding to halt the conflict.
The US and Israel initiated a war against Iran with the initial strikes assassinating the supreme leader and his family members — his daughter, grandchild, son-in-law and daughter-in-law. Other senior Iranian military commanders were also assassinated during the strikes, including Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader.
His public funeral will begin on Saturday, with his body lying in state at the colossal complex in central Tehran that hosts major Friday prayers, official ceremonies and religious gatherings.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said a massive public turnout at the funeral of late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would serve as a “decisive” response to terrorism, violence and bullying, while demonstrating national unity, state broadcaster Press TV reported.
Additional input from AFP ...