IRGC Chief Ahmad Vahidi reappears as Iran prepares Khamenei’s funeral

Vahidi attended a ceremony in Tehran held to oversee preparations for the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iran’s acting commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Ahmad Vahidi, has made his first public appearance since the outbreak of the recent conflict involving the United States and Israel.

Vahidi attended a ceremony in Tehran held to oversee preparations for the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His appearance comes after weeks of speculation surrounding the country’s senior military leadership during the conflict.

Iranian authorities are continuing arrangements for Khamenei’s burial after officials said he was killed in an airstrike during the early stages of the war. On Thursday evening, his coffin was transferred to a mourning site near the Imam Khomeini Husseiniya in southern Tehran, where senior government and military officials gathered to pay their final respects.

The ceremony marks a significant moment for Iran as the country mourns the loss of its longtime leader while navigating heightened regional tensions in the aftermath of the conflict.