Hundreds of thousands of Iranians gathered in Tehran on Sunday to mourn the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed aged 86 in an airstrike on Feb. 28, 2026. The second day of funeral ceremonies saw huge crowds at the Grand Mosalla, but his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, was notably absent. Three of his brothers attended the funeral, but Mojtaba did not appear, remaining in hiding since the attack that killed his father and other top Iranian officials.
Mojtaba Khamenei absent from father's funeral
Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader, suffered facial injuries and possible wounds to one or both legs during the airstrike, according to Reuters, citing sources close to his inner circle. He has not been seen in public since being chosen as the new supreme leader. The no-show at his father's funeral, along with four other family members, underscores his continued concealment amid ongoing security concerns.
Monday is expected to draw even larger crowds ahead of Thursday's burial at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, where Ali Khamenei was born. The week will also include ceremonies across Iran and in Shiite cities in Iraq, according to CNN.
Speaker calls for Trump's death at funeral
At the funeral, at least one speaker called for the death of U.S. President Donald Trump. Poet Mohammad Rasouli reportedly told the crowd, via The Independent, that "the world is no longer a good place" for Trump. Trump had told Axios on Saturday that they gave Iran a "week off for a funeral because we’re nice" and that they could take out the new Iranian leadership with "one shot" during the weeklong funeral if they so desired.
Iranian official meets with Hezbollah leaders
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliamentary Speaker, met with senior Hezbollah officials during the funeral events, stating that support for their armed proxies is an "Islamic and revolutionary duty." Ghalibaf called Hezbollah's role in the U.S.-Iran war a "historic turning point," CNN reported, citing the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency, and said the "Resistance Front and Lebanon" remain a "red" line in negotiations with the U.S. Hezbollah has been trading strikes with Israel in southern Lebanon amid the U.S.-Iran skirmishes.
OPEC+ boosts oil production quotas
Several OPEC+ members raised oil production quotas despite the fragile ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. Officials from Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman decided to implement a production adjustment of 188,000 barrels per day, to be implemented in August. Gulf countries had cut oil output when Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz for several months in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes.
U.S. navy ends search for missing crew member
The U.S. navy suspended its search for a missing helicopter crew member after the aircraft plunged into the Arabian Sea on Wednesday. The Naval Forces Central Command stated that for more than 102 hours, an extensive and coordinated search and rescue effort spanning over 14,000 square miles was conducted. Three of the four crew members were recovered when an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush went down, with no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action, according to CNN.
Qatar and Iran resume maritime trade
Goods will resume flowing between Qatari and Iranian ports with immediate effect. Iranian state media reported that Qatar's Al-Ruwais port is now accepting Iranian goods after the emirate urged vessels to suspend maritime activities amid re-heightened tensions in the southern Gulf, CNN reported. Qatar has played a key role in mediating the dispute between the U.S. and Iran. Iran also announced it would reward allies with special treatment when it begins charging new "service fees" to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The announcement, made at a forum in Beijing, was meant to reward countries that helped Iran during its war with the U.S., though it was unclear when the charges would take effect, according to The Independent. Iran's Ambassador to China Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli also said they were working with Oman on a deal to manage traffic in the strait.
Trump and Netanyahu to meet next week?
Reports indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Trump in Washington as early as next Monday, CNN reported, citing sources in Israel. The peace deal between Iran and the U.S. will top the agenda, along with a new security deal for Israel, which expires in 2028 and includes about $3.8 billion in funding per year from the U.S. The leaders reportedly spoke by phone on Friday and agreed to meet soon, with normalization of ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia also on the docket. Trump told Axios on Saturday that Netanyahu "knows who the boss is."
