Tens of thousands of people took part in the funeral service for the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday. They included the political head of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, and the number two of the Hezbollah militia, Naim Qassem. Haniyeh gave a speech accompanied by chants of “Death to Israel.”
“We are sure that the Islamic Republic of Iran will maintain its support for the Palestinian people,” the political leader of the terrorist organization Hamas said in his speech. Some governments, such as the Russian, Turkish and Iraqi ones, also wanted to send representatives to Tehran. Wednesday was declared a day off for the funeral ceremonies.
Residents of the Iranian capital received messages calling on them to attend the memorial service for the ‘martyr’ Raisi. Tens of thousands came, holding portraits of the wounded president or waving Iranian flags (see video above).
Austria doesn’t send anyone to the funeral
As reported, Raisi crashed a helicopter in northwestern Iran on Sunday in bad weather on its way to Tabriz. Seven other people were killed along with him, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, the head of Raisi’s security team and an imam. Her death was confirmed on Monday after hours of searching.
The government then declared five days of national mourning. Raisi’s body was flown to a Shiite pilgrimage site on Tuesday and will be buried in his hometown on Thursday. High-ranking representatives of friendly countries are expected at the funeral, including Chinese Vice Prime Minister Zhang Guoqing and Russian Parliament Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, no one from the Austrian side will participate in the funeral services.
Not everyone mourns
While government supporters mourned Raisi, others in the country welcomed the politician’s loss. Under his government, repression intensified and numerous media workers and activists were imprisoned. The ultraconservative Iranian has been president since 2021. During his term in office, the country faced mass protests, an economic crisis and a dangerous confrontation with arch-enemy Israel.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
