Iranian authorities are putting on a show of strength for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s funeral, but behind the scenes, officials are preparing for up to 3,000 deaths, according to Germany’s WELT.The report, written by an anonymous journalist in Tehran, said a confidential letter from the Iranian Red Crescent and the national crisis management organization to First Vice President Mohammad-Reza Aref projected between 1,500 and 3,000 potential deaths. Officials have set up a special unit to handle the dead and missing, while thousands of new graves have been dug at Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra cemetery.“The prepared graves really exist,” a Tehran municipality employee said. “Those responsible were told that up to 3,000 dead would be okay. With such a large crowd and this extreme heat, no one knows what will happen.”
The funeral ceremonies began in Tehran on Saturday and will move through Qom, the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala, and end in Mashhad, where Khamenei is set to be buried on Thursday. Officials have spoken of as many as 20 million attendees — a figure often used to signal mass support but difficult to verify.
Massive security and logistical operation underway
Authorities have drawn up an elaborate security and logistics plan, including movement restrictions, potential air travel disruptions, thousands of buses, temporary kitchens and the use of schools and mosques to shelter participants.Tehran Municipality, run by hardline mayor Alireza Zakani, is deploying 11,000 buses and keeping metro and BRT lines free and running around the clock. Each Tehran district has been allocated the equivalent of about 500,000 to 650,000 euros for the three-day ceremonies.Government-linked journalists cited by WELT put the total budget for Tehran at roughly 15 million euros, with another five million euros each for Qom and Mashhad. With additional ceremonies in Najaf and Karbala, the funeral could become one of the most expensive state burials in modern history.
Past funeral disasters raise alarm
Iran has a troubled history with large funerals. At least 56 people were killed and more than 200 injured during the 2020 funeral for IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani in Kerman. Ruhollah Khomeini’s 1989 funeral also turned chaotic, leaving at least eight dead and hundreds injured.WELT also reported deep political tensions around the ceremonies, with hardline supporters using nightly gatherings to denounce the US-Iran memorandum and threaten senior officials involved in negotiations, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.Some attendees have called for continued war to avenge Khamenei’s killing, while videos online show hardline religious speakers making militant speeches, some with rifles in hand.The funeral is unfolding amid growing public frustration over the cost of the ceremonies, economic hardship and the government’s use of state resources for political display.
