Khamenei Funeral Opens in Tehran as Regime Seeks Strength

Times of Israel liveblogged at 05:40 IDT, with AFP reporting at 05:22, that thousands of mourners were entering Tehran's Grand Mosalla as the public funeral for Ali Khamenei opened. Ynet and Ynetnews say the coffin reached the complex, Iranian security forces carried it inside, authorities expect 15-20 million participants in Tehran and leaders or officials from about 30 countries. AP and JPost say the delayed rites move from Tehran to Qom, Najaf, Karbala and Mashhad, where burial is scheduled for July 9. Israel should read the spectacle as regime theater after Khamenei's elimination in the US-Israel war and keep pressure on Iran's proxies and nuclear ambitions.