00:02For months, Iran has mourned in silence.
00:07Now, the nation is preparing for its final farewell.
00:12From the streets of Tehran to the holy shrines of Iraq,
00:17and finally to the sacred city of Mashhad,
00:21millions are expected to gather as Iran lays to rest
00:25the man who shaped the Islamic Republic for more than 30 decades,
00:31Ayatollah Ali Khamenei,
00:34the late supreme leader of Iran.
00:38A leader revered by supporters as a symbol of resistance
00:44and remembered by millions as the face of the Islamic revolution.
00:49Iranian authorities have unveiled an extraordinary six-day funeral schedule,
00:55that will span five cities across two countries,
00:59reflecting the immense religious and political significance of the late leader.
01:05The ceremonies will begin on July 4,
01:08with a two-day farewell gathering at Tehran's Grand Imam Khomeini Mossala.
01:15Thousands of mourners are expected to arrive from across Iran,
01:19while officials are preparing for crowds that could reach into the millions.
01:25The emotional farewell will continue on July 5,
01:29giving ordinary citizens, religious scholars, military commanders,
01:34and political figures an opportunity to pay their final respects.
01:39Then comes the main funeral procession.
01:42On July 6, Khamenei's body will be carried through the streets of Tehran,
01:49in what is expected to be one of the largest public gatherings in modern Iranian history.
01:55The procession will also honour several other individuals who died alongside him.
02:01The next day, July 7, ceremonies will move to the Holy City of Qom,
02:07one of the most important centres of Shia Islamic scholarship.
02:12There, prayers will be offered before the journey continues beyond Iran's borders.
02:18In a rare and highly symbolic move, the funeral procession will travel to Iraq on July 8.
02:26Ceremonies are planned in both Najaf and Karbala,
02:30two of the holiest cities in Shia Islam.
02:33Iranian organisers say the decision followed repeated requests from Iraqi tribal leaders,
02:41religious authorities, scholars, and political figures.
02:45The events are expected to draw huge crowds from across the region.
02:50For many supporters, Najaf and Karbala hold deep spiritual significance
02:56and provide a powerful setting for honouring a figure who spent decades championing what Iran calls the axis of resistance.
03:06The final chapter of the journey comes on July 9.
03:10Khamenei's body will return to Iran and be taken to Mashhad.
03:15There, at the revered Imam Reza shrine, one of the holiest sites in the Shia Muslim world,
03:22the late leader will be laid to rest.
03:25The burial coincides with the eve of the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Sajjad,
03:31adding further religious symbolism to the ceremony.
03:34Iranian officials say international delegations, political leaders, scholars, and representatives from around the world
03:43are expected to attend various stages of the funeral.
03:47The commemoration will take place under the slogan,
03:51We must rise up.
03:53A raised, clenched fist has been chosen as the official symbol of the funeral ceremonies.
04:00Supporters say it represents perseverance, resistance, and continuity.
04:05For Iran, this is more than a funeral.
04:10It is a national moment of remembrance, a display of religious devotion,
04:15and a carefully choreographed farewell to one of the most influential figures in the modern history of the Islamic Republic.
04:24As millions prepare to gather in Tehran, Qom, Najaf, Karbala, and Mashhad,
04:31Iran now enters the final stage of saying goodbye to its late supreme leader,
04:38a journey of mourning that will stretch across borders, faith, and history.
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