Thousands Mourn as Iran Bids Farewell to Late President Raisi

Iran interred its late president, Ebrahim Raisi, at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad on Thursday, marking a historic moment as he became the first top politician to be buried at the holiest site for Shiite Muslims in the Islamic Republic.

A massive funeral procession in Birjand saw thousands of mourners accompanying Raisi’s coffin, which was carried on a large truck through the city. The somber crowd walked alongside, paying their final respects to the cleric and politician.

Raisi’s death, along with that of Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian and six others in a helicopter crash on Sunday, comes at a politically sensitive time for Iran. Raisi, aged 63, had been considered a potential successor to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is 85.

The funeral procession, culminating in Raisi’s burial at the revered Imam Reza Shrine, capped days of national mourning and processionals. The ceremonies were seen as efforts to reinforce the country’s theocracy in the wake of the tragic crash.

In Mashhad, thousands of people lined the streets to witness Raisi’s flag-draped coffin being taken to its final resting place, reflecting the profound respect and reverence held for the late president.