Iran preparing for 3,000 deaths at Ali Khamenei’s funeral!

Information emerging from Iran indicates that Terran is preparing for as much deaths as 3,000 due to the large size of crowds expected at the ongoing funeral of the country’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

A German publication has reported that authorities are planning for the possibility of several thousand deaths during the funeral due to the expected crowds.

This is no surprise, given Ali Khamenei’s stature and the circumstances surrounding his death.

According to Die Welt, a classified letter from the Iranian Red Crescent and the national crisis management organisation has projected between 1,500 and 3,000 deaths during the period when the body lies in state in Tehran.

The report adds that municipal officials have drawn up contingency plans for mass casualties during the procession for the former Supreme Leader.

Khamenei, who was killed in an Israel-US airstrike on February 28, will be buried in Mashhad on July 9 after a week-long funeral procession that will see the body travel through Qom in Iran, and Najaf and Karbala in Iraq — all three major holy sites in Shia Islam. His body will remain at Tehran’s Grand Prayer Hall until July 6 to allow mourners to pay their last respects.

The report says Tehran municipal authorities have already created a special unit to handle the dead and missing, and have prepared thousands of new graves at the city’s Behesht-e Zahra cemetery.

“The prepared graves really exist. Those responsible were told that up to 3,000 deaths would be manageable. With such large crowds and extreme heat, no one knows what will happen,” the German publication quoted an anonymous municipal employee as saying.

Iranian authorities claim that at least 20 million people are expected to attend the Tehran leg of the funeral procession. The figure, however, cannot be independently verified.

The Shiite establishment has often used major funerals as displays of strength, both for external signalling and internal consolidation.

Die Welt reported that authorities are planning a sweeping security and logistical operation in Tehran, including movement restrictions, possible disruption to air travel, deployment of thousands of buses, temporary kitchens, and the use of schools and mosques to house participants.

The report indicates that beyond preparing for mass casualties, officials are also attempting to prevent such a crisis from unfolding in the first place.

It notes that the municipality is providing 24-hour metro and bus services free of cost to reduce the risk of stampede-like situations.

The publication, citing municipal employees, said each of Tehran’s 22 districts has allocated additional funds for fire services, parks departments, transport authorities and construction units.

One estimate puts the total budget for the three-day funeral procession in Tehran at around $17 million, according to government-linked journalists cited by Die Welt.