Iranian Revolutionary Guard General Appears Publicly Ahead of Khamenei Funeral
General Ahmad Vahidi, a senior Revolutionary Guard commander, was seen at a funeral planning meeting and later beside the late Supreme Leader's casket as Tehran prepares a multi-day mourning ceremony.
General Ahmad Vahidi, who heads the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' (IRGC) aerospace force, emerged from a period of absence to attend a meeting on the funeral arrangements for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. State media footage later showed Vahidi seated next to Khamenei's casket during a smaller service held near the former leader's downtown Tehran residence.
Experts say Vahidi has become influential in shaping Iran's negotiating position with the United States over a potential permanent cease-fire. He is thought to belong to a small group that maintains direct contact with Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Supreme Leader who has remained out of public view after reportedly being injured in the February 28 Israeli strike that killed his father.
The ceremony, broadcast by Iranian state outlets, displayed Khamenei's body on a stage surrounded by red tulips and paper decorations. Mourners, identified as relatives of those killed in the 2025 conflict and the recent Iran-Israel hostilities, participated in customary practices such as passing scarves over the coffin.
The casket was draped with a red flag bearing the phrase “Ya Hussein,” a Shiite expression honoring the martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson and traditionally associated with calls for vengeance. Beginning Saturday, a multi-day funeral will move the body to several locations in Iran and Iraq, with the main events slated for the Grand Mosalla in Tehran, where authorities plan to restrict traffic and daily activities.
