With electronic music blaring and free food and drinks on offer at hundreds of stalls, the area around late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s funeral ceremonies in Tehran on Sunday had the feel of a summer festival.
Volunteers provided fruit juice and water under a scorching sun in the capital’s city centre, on the second day of ceremonies honouring Khamenei and four of his family members killed on February 28 in US-Israeli airstrikes.
At one stall, dozens of women in black chadors waited in line as three teenagers prepared trays of chips behind the counter. The display had no prices or menu, just portraits of some of the Islamic republic’s “martyrs”.
The atmosphere was noisy, with electronic music mixed with Khamenei speeches and religious chants praising Imam Hussein, a revered early Shia leader.
The lively ambience stood in contrast to the solemn character of the nearby Grand Mosalla religious complex, where mourners have been paying their respects at Khamenei’s coffin.
