Following the tragic helicopter crash that claimed the life of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi over the weekend, plans have been made for his burial in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday. The burial ceremony is set to take place at the shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of Shia Islam, a revered religious site in Iran.
The funeral proceedings are expected to be attended by high-ranking representatives from friendly nations, with Russian parliamentary leader Vyacheslav Volodin among the dignitaries expected to pay their respects. Iran’s state railway company has made arrangements for special trains to transport mourners from Tehran to Mashhad, underscoring the widespread desire of Iranians to participate in the mourning process and pay their final respects to their late president.
The tragic helicopter crash not only claimed the life of President Raisi but also resulted in the loss of several other individuals, including the late foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian. The crash occurred while they were returning from a meeting with Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, and it is reported to have happened in dense clouds in the mountains.
The outpouring of grief and mourning for President Raisi and the other victims of the crash has been immense, with millions of mourners gathering for a funeral procession in Tehran. The Iranian government declared five days of national mourning following Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s order, and a nationwide holiday was observed on Wednesday to honor the memory of the deceased.
However, President Raisi’s death has also elicited mixed reactions within Iran. While supporters of the country’s Islamic regime have mourned the loss of an important political figure, critics have raised concerns about the increased repression witnessed during his administration. The diverse responses reflect the complex political landscape in Iran and the varying perspectives on Raisi’s tenure as president.