TEHRAN — As millions of Iranians poured into the streets for the funeral of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, foreign dignitaries, journalists, and ordinary visitors from around the world joined the mourning, describing the late Leader as a father figure to the oppressed and a symbol of resistance against Western domination.

The ceremonies, which began on Friday at Tehran's Grand Mosalla and will continue through the week in Qom, Iraq, and Mashhad, have drawn delegations from nearly 100 countries. For many foreign attendees, the event was both a profound personal loss and a political statement.

'They separated us from our father'

Hassan Abdullah, a Nigerian student studying in Iran, told reporters that he came to the farewell ceremony to pray for the martyred Leader. "Sayyid Ali Khamenei was the father of the oppressed," Abdullah said. "He always spoke about the oppressed and helped them. He hated injustice throughout his life and helped people around the world." Abdullah, visibly emotional, added: "This incident is a very big thing in our hearts. I was very sad because they separated us from our father. God willing, with his blood, Israel and America will come to an end."

"We lost our father," a woman from Bosnia told Iranian media, summing up the sentiment of many foreign mourners.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who attended the funeral ceremonies, issued a statement afterward saying that the martyred Leader's "wisdom, leadership, and deep impact on Iran and the region will endure for generations." He affirmed that Pakistan, "as a brotherly neighbor, stands by Iran in this time of grief."

Muhammad Anas Malik, a Pakistani journalist covering the funeral for the English-language Asia-One network, described the event as a powerful political message to the world. "The presence of millions of Iranians to bid farewell to their Leader and the travel of high-ranking officials from various countries to Iran shows that Tehran remains a decisive player in regional and global equations," Malik told Iranian media. "The Iranian nation sent a clear message to the world: Iranians are stronger than ever and more cohesive." He noted that the presence of delegations from 100 countries demonstrated "the world stands in solidarity with the Islamic Republic of Iran." Malik emphasized that Pakistan's high-level delegation — including the prime minister, army chief, and foreign minister — proved that "all segments of our society stand with Iran at this critical juncture." "Here, everyone is grieving the loss of Ayatollah Khamenei," he said. "Everyone is heartbroken but stronger than before."

'Resistance a political and strategic plan thanks to Ayatollah Khamenei’

Elias al-Mur, Secretary-General of the Eastern Christian Union in Lebanon, described the martyred Leader as one of the most prominent figures in formulating the "resistance model" as a political and strategic framework beyond borders. "In academic and international relations terms, Ayatollah Khamenei was one of the most prominent figures who contributed to formulating the resistance model as a political and strategic plan that transcends domestic and regional borders," al-Mur told reporters. He credited the late Leader with transforming resistance "from a concept related to classical military confrontation into comprehensive political, cultural, and identity-based expression" that encompasses sovereignty and international justice.

Dr. Azmi Abdul Hamid, head of the Advisory Council of Islamic Organizations in Malaysia, who met the martyred Leader on three occasions, told Iranian media that what struck him most was the Leader's "extreme humility" paired with "clear and explicit" messages about Muslim unity and resistance. "The most important characteristic of the martyred Leader that I want to mention is his leadership quality, which is very rare in the Islamic world today," Abdul Hamid said. "He was decisive yet very humble, and with this spirit, he invited the peoples of the world to accept Islam as a solution." He added: "America and Israel ultimately concluded that the only person who could thwart their plans against Iran and the Islamic Ummah was Ayatollah Khamenei. They thought that if they eliminated him, everything would collapse. But that assumption was wrong. Today we see that the movement he started is growing stronger, and Muslims around the world are more awake than ever."

'Leader’s martyrdom opened him a path to eternity'

Alexander Dugin, the prominent Russian philosopher, in an interview with IRNA, described the late Leader as "an intellectual, a politician, and a brave leader" whose life culminated in "martyrdom — a path to immortality." "The peak of Ayatollah Khamenei's mission was his martyrdom, which opened a path to eternity, both for himself and for the Iranian nation," Dugin said. "I am more saddened for the Iranian nation than for him today. He lived a fruitful life, accomplished a great mission, and the crown of that great life was his heroic death." Dugin, an Orthodox Christian who said he has studied Shia tradition for years, called the culture of martyrdom "one of the most important commonalities that unites us with Iran." "In killing the Leader and the people of Iran, especially in the killing of children — these innocent angels — there is no definable political or military meaning," he said. "This situation should remind us that we are facing Western civilization, which is in fact an evil civilization."

Muhammad Darwish, head of Hamas's leadership council, wrote in the memorial book for the martyred Leader after visiting his coffin: "May God have mercy on the martyred commander, Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei, and all the martyrs of the path of freedom, resistance, independence and victory over the oppressors. The Islamic Republic will be victorious over its enemies, and we will continue on the path of resistance."

With delegations from Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Iraq, Tajikistan, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey, and dozens of other nations, the funeral ceremonies have become a display of international solidarity with Iran.