Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei presided over a funeral for the late President Ebrahim Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, and others who died in a helicopter crash near the Azerbaijan border. The ceremony, held at Tehran University, featured caskets draped in Iranian flags and was attended by top Iranian leaders and international figures, including Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas. Authorities warned against demonstrations, and attendees chanted slogans like “Death to America.” The event marked the beginning of a five-day mourning period with mass demonstrations encouraged by the government. Raisi’s divisive legacy included a brutal crackdown on protests and executions in the 1980s, but he was also considered a potential successor to Khamenei.

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