More Than 7 Million Use Tehran Metro for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s Funeral

More than seven million people traveled on the Tehran Metro to attend the funeral ceremony of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to the city’s metro network.

Metro authorities said over seven million passenger trips were recorded between 5:30 p.m. local time and 7:00 a.m. Sunday, marking the highest single-day ridership in the system’s history.

Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported that the government had encouraged mourners to use the metro to reach the funeral venue. Metro services are scheduled to continue until 8:00 p.m. local time to accommodate the large crowds.

The main funeral prayer was held at 8:00 a.m. Sunday at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Complex, where hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered. The prayer was led by prominent Shia cleric Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani.

According to Iranian media, the funeral prayers were conducted in three stages. The first was dedicated to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The second honored Sayyidah Boshra Hosseini Khamenei, Martyr Mesbah al-Hoda Bagheri, and Martyr Zahra Haddad Adel. The third funeral prayer was held for Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani, the late leader’s young granddaughter.

The funeral procession is expected to continue in the coming days. On Tuesday, Khamenei’s body will be transferred to the holy city of Qom. On Wednesday, commemorative events are scheduled in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. He is expected to be buried on Thursday at the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, his birthplace.

Iranian authorities launched extensive funeral arrangements in Tehran on Friday following Khamenei’s death, which Iranian officials say resulted from a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on February 28.