Israeli media outlets have reported that Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral is set to take place in Iran on Friday. However, details about the event remain tightly controlled and shrouded in secrecy, showing the Iranian-backed group’s heightened concerns in the wake of Nasrallah’s assassination and ongoing tensions along the southern border.
This comes as Israel’s military hit Hezbollah’s intelligence headquarters in the Lebanese capital Beirut, as troops battled militants near the border and warplanes bombarded their strongholds around the country. Israel announced this week that its troops had started “ground raids” into parts of southern Lebanon, a stronghold of Hezbollah, after days of heavy bombardment of areas across the country where the group holds sway.
Fear Of More Attacks Amid Funeral
The bombing has killed more than 1,000 people, according to Lebanon’s health ministry, and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes. The Israeli offensive and fear of more attacks on Hezbollah have also prevented the Iranian-backed group from organising a nationwide funeral on a scale reflecting Nasrallah’s religious and leadership status, officials from the militant group had told news agency Reuters.
“No one can authorize a funeral in these circumstances,” one Hezbollah source said, lamenting the situation in which officials and religious leaders could not come forward to properly honor the late leader. Several commanders killed last week were buried discreetly on Monday, with plans for a proper religious ceremony when the conflict ends. Hezbollah is mulling the option of securing a religious decree to bury Nasrallah temporarily and hold an official funeral when the situation permits, the four Lebanese sources said.
Nasrallah’s Burial
Speculation also continues over where Nasrallah will be buried, with conflicting reports suggesting either Lebanon or Iraq as his final resting place, according to an article released on Abu Dhabi-based The National. Iraqi officials and local media have indicated that Nasrallah may be buried at the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala, south of Baghdad, as he was an important figure within the Shiite community.
Abdul Amir Al Teiban, an adviser to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani, posted on X that Nasrallah would be buried “next to Imam Hussein, in Karbala.” However, in Tehran, a message from the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei ahead of Friday has led to speculations of symbolic burial.
Tehran’s metro and bus companies will provide free transportation for attendees of this week’s Friday prayer ceremony, which will be led by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. This marks the first time in nearly five years that Khamenei will lead the prayers, the Iran International.
The move holds significance as Khamenei leads the so-called ‘Axis of Resistance’, whose element Israel has been targeting since it began retaliating against the October 7 attack. The prayers also come at a time when Iran has also threatened Israel with more attacks after targeting it with more than 200 missiles aimed at its military facilities.
Source » news18