Hamas, Hezbollah Delegations Join Khamenei Funeral Ceremonies in Iran

Delegations from Iran-backed militant groups Hezbollah and Hamas attended funeral ceremonies for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Saturday, Iranian state media reported.

The representatives also met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during the ceremonies.

Tehran has maintained longstanding ties with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Yemen’s Houthis, groups labelled as terrorist organisations by the United States and several Western nations. Iran’s support for the groups has contributed to years of international sanctions against the country.

Hezbollah’s delegation, according to Lebanese media reports, included senior party officials alongside families of members who were killed or injured. Former Lebanese minister Mohammed Fneish led the delegation.

Hamas, in a statement, said its delegation was headed by Mohammed Darwish, chairman of the movement’s political bureau, and included senior official Bassem Naim and other members.

The ceremonies also revived memories of the July 2024 killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who died in Tehran during an Israeli operation shortly after attending the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Khamenei, who ruled Iran from 1989, was killed at the age of 86 alongside several family members and top officials in a US-Israeli strike on February 28. The attack triggered a wider escalation of conflict in the Middle East.

On Saturday, thousands gathered at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla religious complex to honour the late supreme leader, who held ultimate authority over key political and state decisions in Iran during his decades in power.

Iranian authorities announced that funeral ceremonies at the Grand Mosalla would continue through Sunday, which has been declared a national holiday.

The Iranian foreign ministry urged citizens to participate in large numbers, saying the ceremonies would “show the world the greatness of Iran and the glory of national unity and authority.”

Africans Angle News