00:05Millions of people, miles of funeral processions, a nation draped in black and a farewell unlike anything seen in modern
00:14history.
00:15Four months after his death, Iran is finally bidding farewell to one of the most powerful and controversial leaders of
00:23the 21st century, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
00:27But this isn't just the funeral of a former head of state.
00:31It is the funeral of a man who shaped Iran's politics, religion, military strategy and foreign policy for nearly four
00:39decades.
00:40The question is, who exactly was Ali Khamenei?
00:44What does Ayatollah mean?
00:47Why is his funeral being treated as one of the biggest political events in Iran's history?
00:52And perhaps the biggest question, will Iran remain the same after Khamenei?
00:58Let's understand.
01:02Many people think Ali Khamenei was simply Iran's president. He wasn't.
01:07Others think he was Iran's prime minister. He wasn't that either.
01:12Ali Khamenei was something much bigger. He was Iran's supreme leader.
01:18And in Iran, the supreme leader is more powerful than the president.
01:23Much more powerful. He controls the armed forces. He appoints the heads of the judiciary.
01:29He has enormous influence over intelligence agencies.
01:33He plays a decisive role in foreign policy.
01:36He has the final word on Iran's nuclear program.
01:41Think of him as a combination of a religious authority, a commander-in-chief and the country's ultimate political decision
01:49maker.
01:50That is why, for 36 years, almost every major decision in Iran carried Khamenei's imprint.
02:02So, what is an Ayatollah? Or for that matter, who is an Ayatollah?
02:08Here's something many people misunderstand.
02:11Ayatollah is not a first name. It is a religious title. The word literally means sign of God.
02:18In Shia Islam, it is given to senior religious scholars who spend decades studying Islamic law and theology.
02:27But among Ayatollahs, there are different levels.
02:31The highest are known as Grand Ayatollahs or Marjaye Taklid, religious authorities whose legal opinions are followed by millions of
02:41Shia Muslims.
02:41Ali Khamenei occupied a unique position. Whether or not every Shia scholar regarded him as the foremost religious authority, politically,
02:52he became the most influential Shia leader in the world.
02:57His influence stretched far beyond Iran to Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere too.
03:10To understand Khamenei, we must first understand modern Iran.
03:15Before 1979, Iran was ruled by the Shah. It was a monarchy backed by the United States.
03:22But many Iranians believed that Shah had become too authoritarian and too closely aligned with the West.
03:29Then came the Islamic revolution, led by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khamenei.
03:36The monarchy collapsed. Iran became an Islamic republic.
03:40But unlike most republics, Iran created a unique system.
03:45People vote for a president. People elect parliament.
03:49But above both stands one unelected office, the supreme leader.
03:54His authority comes from religion, not elections.
03:57When Ayatollah Khamenei died in 1989, Ali Khamenei became only the second supreme leader in the country's history and remained
04:07there for 36 years.
04:13So the question is, why was he so important?
04:16Every major chapter of modern Iranian history bears Khamenei's fingerprints.
04:21The nuclear program, sanctions, relations with the United States, support for Hezbollah, support for Hamas,
04:28backing armed groups across Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
04:31The expansion of Iran's revolutionary guard, the creation of what Tehran calls the axis of resistance.
04:38Supporters saw him as the protector of Iran's independence.
04:43Critiques accused him of isolating Iran from the world.
04:46Whatever your opinion, his influence cannot be denied.
04:54So coming back to the funeral now, why is it so important?
04:59Iran is calling this, quote, the biggest ever since 1979 revolution.
05:05But why?
05:06Because this funeral is about much more than grief.
05:11It is political, it is religious, it is symbolic.
05:15The government wants the world to see millions of mourners.
05:19It wants to project unity after months of war with the United States and Israel.
05:24The slogan chosen for the funeral says, we must rise.
05:29Officials describe public participation almost as a referendum on the Islamic Republic itself.
05:35The message is simple.
05:37Despite war, despite sanctions, despite international pressure, Iran's system remains standing.
05:45The funeral is therefore not just remembering one man.
05:49It is defending an entire political system.
05:56But one would wonder, is Iran really united?
06:00This is where the story becomes more complicated.
06:03State television is showing enormous crowds.
06:06Many Iranians genuinely admired Khamenei, especially religious conservatives.
06:12Many saw him as a defender of national dignity against foreign pressure.
06:17But another Iran also exists.
06:19A younger generation.
06:21One that has grown up under sanctions, economic hardship, inflation,
06:26restrictions on social freedoms and repeated protests.
06:30In recent years, many demonstrations openly criticized their leadership.
06:35Some protesters even called for Khamenei's resignation.
06:39Human rights groups accused authorities of violently suppressing the dissent.
06:44So today's images tell only a part of the story.
06:48Iran is united in some ways, deeply divided in others.
06:53Both realities exist simultaneously.
06:59Up till now, everything was hunky-dory.
07:02But the question is, who comes next?
07:05The next chapter may be even more important.
07:08Ali Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has emerged as his successor.
07:13But he inherits a country facing enormous challenges.
07:17Economic sanctions.
07:18Regional tensions.
07:19A fragile ceasefire with the US and Israel.
07:23Questions over the nuclear program.
07:25Questions over his own health.
07:27Pressure from Israel.
07:29Pressure from the United States.
07:31And demands for reform from many young Iranians.
07:34The funeral marks not only the end of one leader's life, but the beginning of a completely new political year.
07:46This isn't simply an Iranian event.
07:49Iran sits at the heart of the Middle East.
07:51It influences oil markets.
07:53It affects global shipping.
07:55It supports powerful armed force troops also across the region.
07:59Its nuclear program concerns world powers.
08:02Every major decision made in Tehran affects Washington, Jerusalem, Riyadh, Moscow, Beijing and even New Delhi.
08:11That is why governments around the world are watching this transition so closely.
08:17Because leadership changes in Iran rarely remain only Iranian stories.
08:22They quickly become global stories.
08:27So here is the crux.
08:30Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was never merely a politician.
08:33He represented an idea, a system, a revolution.
08:37For millions, he symbolized resistance to Western influence.
08:41For others, he represented decades of political repression and economic isolation.
08:46His funeral, therefore, is not simply about saying goodbye to one man.
08:51It is about asking what comes next for the Islamic Republic, Iran itself.
08:58Will Iran continue along the same revolutionary path?
09:01Will the next generation seek reform?
09:04Or will tensions with the United States and Israel define the country's future for years to come?
09:10The funeral may bring one chapter to a close.
09:14But for Iran, the most important chapter may only just be beginning.
09:20Cutting the work?
09:24We will all search for you shortly.
Comments