Funeral of martyred leader draws overwhelming crowds, indicating awakening of nations

Tehran: Iran’s Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism (ADVT) has said that the massive public participation in the farewell and funeral ceremonies of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution reflects a growing global awakening against what it described as oppressive and hegemonic powers.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the NGO said millions of people from Iran and abroad took part in the ceremonies, sending a unified message against what it called the unjust and criminal nature of the existing global order.

The organization claimed that the United States and Israel have continuously attempted to undermine Iran since the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, alleging that both countries have pursued various strategies to restore the influence they once enjoyed during the Pahlavi era.

According to ADVT, these efforts included supporting Iraq under Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War, backing anti-Iran groups such as the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MKO), and imposing economic sanctions, all aimed at weakening the Islamic Republic and limiting its regional influence.

The NGO argued that despite political pressure, military threats, terrorism, and sanctions, Iran has resisted Western demands and instead strengthened what it described as the “Axis of Resistance” against the United States and Israel.

Referring to the recent US-Israeli military actions against Iran, the organization claimed that the attacks were based on the assumption that eliminating senior Iranian leaders would weaken the country’s resistance. However, it said the outcome had instead strengthened public solidarity.

The statement further alleged that recent developments have exposed what it described as double standards in the West’s claims of defending democracy and human rights. It also accused the United States of carrying out an airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyiba School in Minab, claiming that 168 schoolchildren were killed.