“We can expect a big war”: the situation in Iran after the death of the president is revealed

“People have no time for protests now.”

Five days of mourning have been declared in Iran in connection with the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and those accompanying him.

Iranian journalist Khayal Muazzin told what is happening in the country now and how the funeral of the head of state will take place.

Photo: AP

“From night to morning, the Iranian people were in the mosque. At night they prayed that the president would survive. People performed joint prayers and read the Koran. When it became known about the death of the head of state, in the morning the people again went to the mosques. People pray together for the memory of the president. The people are mourning and waiting for the funeral ceremony and forgiveness,” says Khayal Muazzin. – Large celebrations were planned in Iran these days to mark the birthday of the eighth imam. Now everything is cancelled. There are no entertainment programs on TV either.”

“The farewell ceremony will probably be held in the same format as the funeral of the murdered General Qasem Soleimani. First, the bodies of the president and his team will be brought to sacred sites located in the city of Qom (it is this city, located 130 kilometers south of Tehran, that was chosen by the highest Muslim clergy as the center of Shiite theology). Then Raisi’s body will be taken to Mashhad, he is from there. Then they will go to Tehran, where the Supreme Leader of Iran will perform namaz. Then there will be a funeral and farewell ceremony.

– Events will also be held there. One of the dead was the Iranian Supreme Leader's representative in Tabriz. But the main ceremony will most likely take place in Tehran.

— Certainly. The entire Iranian people will bid farewell to the president in the streets. State and non-state media will broadcast the ceremony.

It is not yet known in which cemetery the president will be buried. My colleagues and I discussed this. I suggested that maybe his grave would be in his homeland, in Mashhad. But I was told that it was unlikely, most likely in Tehran. Although some Iranian diplomats were buried in the city of Qom.

— This was not done intentionally. When the first news appeared, not only journalists, but also the people of Iran themselves did not fully understand what was happening. Gradually people began to understand that the situation was difficult. Unfortunately, false news appeared in the media. This is an unprofessional approach. I think that in the future our colleagues will only refer to official sources. When there was a terrorist attack in Crocus, the Iranian media published news and emphasized that here we should follow the example of the Russian media, refer only to verified sources.

— The people are not allowed now before the rallies, at the moment people are grieving. And it won’t be possible to organize protests. Law enforcement agencies suppress any attempts.

– It’s too early to say anything, journalists are waiting for official information. My opinion: if it is proven that hostile countries were involved in the disaster, someone collaborated with the enemies, there will be a tough response from Iran. If they prove that there was a terrorist attack, then we can expect a big war.

The Iranian people do not believe that it was an ordinary plane crash. The helicopter itself was maintained at a high level. I communicate with people, most believe that this is not an accidental tragedy.