Khamenei's Funeral Procession Braces for 20 Million Attendees, but Why Has Iran Dug up Thousands of Graves?
Authorities are preparing for up to 3,000 deaths in crowd-related incidents as week-long ceremonies are expected to draw millions of mourners.
- On Saturday, the week-long funeral for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began in Tehran, with authorities expecting up to 20 million mourners to attend the procession.
- German media outlet WELT reported that a classified letter from the Iranian Red Crescent to First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref outlines contingency plans for between 1,500 and 3,000 potential deaths.
- Thousands of additional graves have been prepared at Behesht-e Zahra cemetery, with a municipal employee quoted as saying officials were told "up to 3,000 dead would be okay" with extreme heat expected.
- To mitigate risks, the government set up temporary hospitals near the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, with medical teams on "full standby" and public transport running round the clock to prevent overcrowding.
- Officials are attempting to avoid a repeat of the 2020 stampede in Kerman that killed at least 56 people, as the procession continues through Qom before burial in Mashhad on Thursday.
15 Articles
15 Articles
20 Million Mourners, Thousands of Fresh Graves: Inside Iran's Extraordinary Preparations for Khamenei's Funeral
The government has readied thousands of graves, anticipating 1,500 to 3,000 deaths due to crowd size, heat, and logistical challenges. Medical and emergency personnel will manage the significant turnout during the week-long ceremonies.
Who’s going to kill 3,000 Iranians in next 48 hours? The dark mystery surrounding Khamenei’s funeral
A classified report cited by Germany's Die Welt claims Iranian authorities have prepared contingency plans for a possible mass-casualty scenario during the funeral ceremonies of slain former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The report alleges officials projected between 1,500 and 3,000 potential deaths due to massive crowds and extreme heat, though these claims have not been independently verified. With hundreds of thousands of security personnel de…
Why Iran is preparing for 3,000 deaths at Ali Khamenei's funeral
A German report claims Iranian authorities are making extensive preparations for possible mass casualties at Ali Khamenei’s funeral in Tehran, reflecting concerns over past deadly stampedes at major state funerals in the country.
Khamenei's funeral procession braces for 20 million attendees, but why has Iran dug up thousands of graves?
A report by German media outlet WELT states, citing a classified letter sent by the Iranian Red Crescent and the National Crisis Management Organisation to First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref, that between 1,500 and 3,000 people could die in crowd-related incidents during the funeral.
Iran expects up to 3,000 deaths during Khamenei’s week-long funeral
Iranian authorities are preparing for the possibility that Ali Khamenei’s week-long funeral ceremonies could leave between 1,500 and 3,000 people dead, Germany’s WELT reported, citing a classified document and municipal sources in Tehran. The report, written from Tehran by an anonymous author whose identity is known to WELT’s editors, said officials have drawn up contingency...
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