A red flag from the holy shrine of Imam Reza (A.S.) in Mashhad, Iran, has been placed on the coffin of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Al Jazeera reported that this symbolic gesture was taken as part of the state mourning and final farewell ceremonies.
Iranian authorities announced that Khamenei will be buried on July 9 at the Imam Reza (A.S.) shrine complex in Mashhad. His burial had been postponed several times due to security concerns following his death in a joint attack by the United States and Israel.
According to Nader Hashemi, an associate professor in the Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Politics at Georgetown University, the red flag placed on the coffin is one of the most important symbols in Shia Islam. It is considered a memorial to the sacrifice of Imam Hussein ibn Ali (R.A.), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and the tragic event of Karbala.
Hashemi stated that this symbol holds deep religious significance for Shia Muslims. He added that the Islamic Republic has used this red flag to symbolically link Khamenei’s death with the historical sacrifice of Karbala.