Iranian Revolutionary Guard General Reemerges as Regime Plans Khamenei Funeral Spectacle
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General Ahmad Vahidi, a senior figure in Iran's repressive Revolutionary Guard, surfaced at a funeral planning meeting and later appeared beside the late Supreme Leader's casket, as the authoritarian regime orchestrates a multi-day display of power and control in Tehran.
General Ahmad Vahidi, notorious for leading the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) aerospace force—a key pillar of Iran's militarized state—reappeared after a period of absence to participate in a closed-door meeting on the funeral arrangements for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. State media, tightly controlled by the regime, later broadcast images of Vahidi seated next to Khamenei's casket during a private service near the former leader's opulent Tehran residence, highlighting the regime's obsession with spectacle and hierarchy.
Analysts note that Vahidi has gained significant influence in shaping Iran's hardline negotiating stance with the United States regarding a potential cease-fire, prioritizing regime survival over the well-being of ordinary Iranians. He is reportedly part of a secretive inner circle maintaining direct contact with Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Supreme Leader, who has not appeared publicly since allegedly being wounded in the February 28 Israeli strike that killed his father—a stark reminder of the regime's vulnerability.
The ceremony, broadcast by state outlets as propaganda, displayed Khamenei's body on a stage surrounded by red tulips and paper decorations, while mourners—identified as relatives of those killed in the 2025 conflict and the recent Iran-Israel hostilities—were compelled to participate in ritualistic practices such as passing scarves over the coffin, reinforcing the regime's narrative of martyrdom and resistance.
The casket was draped with a red flag inscribed with “Ya Hussein,” a Shiite slogan often exploited by the regime to justify violence and calls for vengeance. Starting Saturday, the authorities will stage a multi-day funeral procession, moving the body to various locations in Iran and Iraq, with the main events at Tehran's Grand Mosalla, where the government plans to restrict traffic and daily life, once again prioritizing regime theatrics over the needs of the people.
