TEHRAN, July 2. /TASS/. The United States and Israel would face severe retaliation if they attacked Iran during upcoming farewell ceremonies for the country's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ali Abdollahi, commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Iranian Armed Forces, said.
"In these great and enlightening days, <...> we warn Iran's enemies, primarily the United States and the Zionist regime, as well as their regional and non-regional allies, against any erroneous actions. We also urge them to bear in mind that the sons of the Iranian people will respond forcefully to any threat or aggression against our beloved country," he said, as cited by Iran’s state broadcaster.
The US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and some other key Iranian leaders were killed in the US-Israeli strikes.
Farewell ceremonies for Ali Khamenei will begin in Tehran on July 3. High-level delegations from at least 100 countries are expected to attend a mourning ceremony on Friday. His body will lie in state at the Grand Mosalla of Tehran on July 4-5, allowing the public to pay their respects. On July 6, a funeral procession will take place through downtown Tehran before the remains are transferred to the city of Qom, Iran's main religious center, where mourning ceremonies are scheduled for July 7. On July 8, Khamenei’s remains will be taken to Iraq for separate farewell ceremonies in the cities of Karbala and Najaf for the country’s Shia Muslims to participate. The burial is scheduled for July 9 in his hometown of Mashhad.