Dubai: A senior commander of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, General Ahmad Vahidi, has reappeared in public as Iran prepares for days of funeral ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Photographs published by Iranian state media showed Vahidi attending a meeting on Thursday to coordinate Khamenei's funeral before later sitting beside the late leader's coffin during a private memorial service held near Khamenei's former residence in central Tehran.
Vahidi, who had not been seen publicly since February 8, has reportedly emerged as a key figure shaping Iran's hardline approach to negotiations over a possible permanent end to the conflict with the United States.
According to reports, he is among a small group of senior officials in direct contact with Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained out of public view after reportedly being wounded during Israeli air strikes on February 28 that killed his father.
Video released by Iranian state media showed mourners gathering at the husseiniyah inside Khamenei's compound in Tehran for a private ceremony.
According to Iranian state media, Khamenei was killed in an Israeli air strike at the start of the conflict on February 28, along with several members of his family. His coffin was placed on a raised platform decorated with red tulips, while paper butterflies hung from the ceiling above.
Mourners, dressed in black and identified by state media as relatives of people killed during both the 12-day conflict in 2025 and the recent Iran war, threw scarves and other personal items towards attendants to be touched against the coffin, a traditional gesture of reverence in Iran.
Public funeral ceremonies are scheduled to begin on Saturday at Tehran's Grand Mosalla, with authorities expected to close major roads and suspend normal activities as large crowds gather to pay their respects.
Following the ceremonies in Tehran, Khamenei's body is expected to be taken to several cities across Iran and neighbouring Iraq as part of the official funeral procession.
