Iran begins week-long funeral for Ali Khamenei, but at what cost? Companies ‘forced to pay’ for food, soup, tea — report | Today’s news
Iran on Friday (July 3rd) began a week-long funeral ceremony for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But at what cost?
The country, struggling with wartime conditions and inflation, hosts a spectacular parade for about seven days.
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Authorities reportedly said Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, would be buried on July 9 after five days of ceremonies in Iran and Iraq.
As grief and mourning gripped the Islamic Republic, a section of people expressed anger over the cost of the funeral.
“Forced” to fund Khamenei’s funeral
Iranian state media claimed that Iranian authorities forced businesses and civil servants to fund ceremonies, provide services or participate in events before his funeral.
A broad campaign was launched to mobilize resources for the burial. A report sent by Iran International claimed that industrial companies had been instructed to fund roadside gas stations for mourners.
“They forced companies in the industrial zone to set up stalls and provide soup, tea, juice and dates at their own expense,” the person wrote in a message to Iranian media. “This is a government order for all organizations,” he added.
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Another report claimed that companies in Tehran were forced to contribute large sums for the funeral.
“The Islamic Republic and the Revolutionary Guards forced all companies in Tehran to pay for stalls and food for the funeral,” the report said.
“More than 1,000 billion riyals (over $570,000) have been taken from car manufacturers as workers struggle to make ends meet,” the report added.
People identifying themselves as employees of the Civil Registration Organization of Iran also said employees were offered incentives to attend the ceremonies.
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“Today we were given 20 kilograms of rice each to attend the ceremony,” one citizen told Iran International, adding: “But instead we are going (for fun) to northern Iran.”
The reported squeeze came as average monthly income hovers around $150, according to independent estimates, well below the poverty line estimated at around $350 for a family, leaving many households struggling to meet basic needs.
Ian announced that funeral processions are starting in Tehran and continuing through Qom, the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala before Khamenei’s funeral in Mashhad on July 9.
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Khamenei’s casket was unveiled late Thursday to a crowd of sobbing supporters who swayed and banged their heads in chants of wailing as flowers from a coffin were thrown into the crowd.
On Friday, the casket — and that of the family members killed with it — was placed in a large prayer hall built in honor of his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The funeral comes at a critical moment for Iran, where the clerical rulers backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are reeling from surviving what they saw as an existential war against their biggest and most powerful enemies.
