Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who tragically passed away in a helicopter crash over the weekend, is scheduled to be laid to rest in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday.
Raisi’s final resting place will be at the city’s revered shrine of Imam Reza, the eighth imam of Shia Islam. Notable representatives from allied nations, including Russian parliamentary leader Vyacheslav Volodin, are expected to pay their respects.
In anticipation of the funeral, Iran’s state railway company has arranged special trains to transport mourners from Tehran to Mashhad.
Public mourning ceremonies have been held across Iran for Raisi, late Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and the other victims of the tragic crash. Millions of mourners gathered for a funeral procession in Tehran on Wednesday.
The fatal crash claimed the lives of Raisi, Amirabdollahian, and seven other passengers. They were returning from a meeting with Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, when their helicopter encountered dense clouds in the mountains.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, declared a five-day period of national mourning, with a nationwide holiday observed on Wednesday.
Raisi’s passing has evoked diverse reactions within Iran. While supporters of the Islamic regime mourn the loss of a significant political figure, critics have pointed out the heightened repression witnessed under his administration.
