Foreign dignitaries from China, Russia, Pakistan and allied governments arrived in Tehran Thursday as Iran opened the first of several days of state ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic for more than three decades.
Senior officials from across the Middle East, Central Asia, and beyond joined Iranian state authorities at the capital's ceremonial venues, the Wail confirmed from reports out of Tehran.
Khamenei, who assumed the post of Supreme Leader in 1989 following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, held the highest authority in the Islamic Republic across six presidential administrations and multiple cycles of regional conflict.
No formal succession announcement had been issued as of Thursday morning. Iran's Assembly of Experts holds constitutional authority to name a replacement, and the body was expected to convene in the coming days.
The attendance of Chinese and Russian delegations signals continued alignment between Tehran and both Moscow and Beijing — partnerships that deepened substantially amid Western sanctions imposed over Iran's nuclear programme.
The Assembly of Experts is expected to convene by the weekend to begin formal deliberations on the republic's next Supreme Leader.