Thousands gather in Tehran ahead of Khamenei funeral
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- Authorities imposed extensive traffic restrictions across the capital.
- Large crowds walked several kilometers to reach the heavily secured venue.
Thousands of mourners began entering Tehran's Grand Mosalla on Saturday morning to participate in the funeral ceremonies for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, eyewitnesses reported ahead of the official commencement of the state procession.
The main courtyard of the vast religious and cultural complex quickly filled to capacity as citizens gathered to pay their respects.
In anticipation of the massive turnout, municipal and security authorities have instituted sweeping traffic restrictions across major thoroughfares in the capital.
Extensive security and transit restrictions
The scale of the gathering has fundamentally altered logistics in central Tehran.
Due to the strict security cordons and vehicular bans surrounding the Grand Mosalla, standard transportation links have been halted.
As a result, a massive influx of participants has shifted to pedestrian movement.
On-the-ground reports indicate that large groups of mourners are navigating the urban restrictions by walking several kilometers through the cordoned zones to reach the funeral venue.
The gathering marks the beginning of a highly fortified, weeklong schedule of national mourning events and trilateral coordination tracking designed to manage the high-profile succession and regional defense postures following the leader's death.
