AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Russian media on Thursday, while publishing numerous reports on the magnificent funeral ceremony of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in the holy city of Mashhad, also republished the biography of this martyred leader of the Islamic Revolution.
A RIA Novosti correspondent reported, "Tens of thousands of people gathered near the holy shrine of Imam Reza (a.s.) in the Iranian city of Mashhad, despite recent U.S. airstrikes, to participate in the funeral and burial ceremony of Ayatollah Khamenei. The participants, carrying national flags and images of their martyred leader, chanted religious slogans."
RT also quoted a citizen present at the funeral ceremony of the martyred leader of the Islamic Revolution as saying, "I came because I feel it is my duty; despite the current situation, I cannot refrain from paying tribute to a leader who sacrificed his life to serve his homeland."
TASS news agency also reported, citing Iranian officials, that at least 4,700 foreign pilgrims from 27 countries had come to Mashhad to participate in the funeral ceremony of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The correspondent of this Russian media outlet wrote, "Iranian citizens had been present at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (a.s.) since the night before to have the opportunity for a final farewell to Ayatollah Khamenei."
TASS further wrote, "Iranian pilgrims are calling for swift revenge against those responsible for the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei." This Russian media outlet also quoted an Iranian citizen as saying, "According to Ayatollah Khamenei's teachings, all nations of the Middle East must unite in the struggle against Israel and the United States."
The Russian website Expert, in an analysis of the extensive dimensions of the farewell and funeral rituals of Ayatollah Khamenei, described this issue as carrying the message that Iran has not only not been defeated in the conflict with the United States and Israel, but has also become stronger.
Kirill Semenov, an expert at the Russian International Affairs Council, told this Russian news site about the farewell ceremony of foreign officials with the martyred leader of the Islamic Revolution, "A large number of countries, including some of America's Middle Eastern partners such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, did not reject Tehran's invitation despite the behind-the-scenes efforts of the Trump administration."
Grigory Lukyanov, a researcher at the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, also said, "For the Persian Gulf countries, participating in the farewell ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was an important way to establish, and for some of them, to readjust relations with Iran. The large scale of the farewell and funeral events for the martyred leader is meant to show that Iran has only grown stronger since the conflict with the United States and Israel; these events also remind of the legitimacy of resistance and the connection between the leadership and the people."
Nikolai Sukhov, a prominent researcher at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (Primakov) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, also said, "Iranian officials managed to organize multi-million person processions, ensure security, and hold events without signs of instability; this situation indicates the continued vitality of Iran's political system alongside the continuation of Washington's hostile policy toward Tehran, and this situation conveys an important message in the field of foreign policy to the world."
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