Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander Appears in Tehran Ahead of Khamenei Funeral

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Ahmad Vahidi appeared in Tehran on the eve of a funeral for late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, after reports had circulated that he was killed in an attack. According to Jin10, photos released by the office of Iran’s supreme leader showed Vahidi attending a small religious event at a mourning hall near Khamenei’s former residence in central Tehran. The images showed Vahidi seated beside Khamenei’s coffin, with red tulips placed in front of it and paper butterflies hanging above. The Associated Press reported that Vahidi’s previous public appearance was on February 8, a few weeks before fighting in Iran broke out. The report said Vahidi was born in 1958 and joined the Revolutionary Guards after the 1979 victory of Iran’s Islamic Revolution. It added that he was the first commander of the Quds Force.