India sent Bihar Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State Pabitra Margherita to Tehran for the ceremony on Friday.Russia's delegation is being led by Dmitry Medvedev, and China sent National People's Congress Vice Chairman He Wei.Pakistan, Iraq, Armenia and Georgia also confirmed attendance, though European nations that backed the war weren't invited.The whole thing runs across a week of events in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad, with burial expected in Mashhad on Thursday, not the earlier date some reports floated. Worth saying plainly, waiting four months to bury a man this powerful says something about just how shaken Iran's leadership still is.
General Ahmad Vahidi, the new IRGC commander in chief, appeared beside the coffin on Friday, his first public sighting since early February.His predecessor was killed in the opening strikes of the war.Major General Amir Hatami, head of Iran's armed forces, promised revenge against the US and Israel at the funeral, saying the nation would not leave Khamenei's death unanswered.Streets across Tehran were locked down tight, with Basij militia and police on motorbikes patrolling near the mosalla.Officials are hoping for turnout in the millions once the public processions begin Saturday.
Comments