In a Friday statement, the commander said the unprecedented week-long farewell ceremonies for martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei demonstrated the deep bond between the people and the leadership.
“Wilayat al-Faqih [Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist] means that after 47 years of governance, you are bid farewell by an ocean of your nation's tears,” he said.
The IRGC commander expressed gratitude to the Iranian nation, describing it as insightful, resilient and steadfast. He also thanked officials, organizers and all those involved in planning and managing the funeral ceremonies, praising their “wise management, sound planning and tireless efforts” in ensuring the events were held with dignity, security and order.
The funeral ceremonies concluded in the holy city of Mashhad after several days of mourning that also included Tehran, Qom, Najaf and Karbala.
Millions of mourners filled the streets of Mashhad on Thursday as the body of the martyred Leader and his family members were carried through the streets before being laid to rest at the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (AS).
Crowds from across Iran, along with visitors from dozens of countries, joined the final farewell, while similar mass gatherings had earlier taken place in Iraq's holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.
According to official estimates cited by Fars News Agency, between 41 million and 43 million people participated in the six-day funeral ceremonies across the five cities, making the event the largest funeral procession in recorded history.
The IRGC first-in-command said the massive turnout renewed the nation's covenant with the martyred leader and reaffirmed loyalty to the ideals of the Islamic Revolution.
He described the gatherings as a manifestation of unity among nations that have stood together “under the red banner of Imam Hussein (AS)” against the front of “arrogance and disbelief.”
According to the IRGC commander, the blood of the martyred leader has become “a gushing spring of awakening, dignity, strength and solidarity” across the Islamic Ummah. He said it would further strengthen the determination of free nations to continue that path while bringing Iran's enemies closer to “defeat, isolation and regret.”
He also warned that the United States and the enemies of the Islamic Revolution and the resistance front would fail to achieve their objectives through the assassination.
“The criminal leaders of America and all the enemies of the Islamic Revolution and the resistance front must know that by the cowardly assassination of this divine leader, they will never be able to extinguish the divine light, weaken the will of faithful nations, or bring down the banner of resistance,” he said.
He said the blood of the martyred leader had placed an enduring responsibility on “all the free people of the world,” stressing that seeking justice and punishing “the perpetrators, those who ordered and those who supported this crime” would remain “a definite, legitimate and unforgettable demand.”
The commander added that the call for accountability would remain alive “until full justice is achieved and an appropriate response is given to the criminals, especially the child-killing American army,” saying it would never be erased from the historical memory of the Islamic Ummah or the resistance front.
Martyr Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and members of his family were assassinated in a terrorist attack on February 28, carried out by the United States and the Zionist regime against the leader's residence.