Iran began a mass funeral for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 4, with vast crowds gathering in Tehran for a weeklong ceremony expected to draw millions of mourners and serve as a show of strength for the Islamic Republic. The body of Khamenei, killed in a U.S. and Israeli attack on the first day of the war in late February, will lie in state at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mosalla mosque complex for public visits over the weekend, according to the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.
Processions Across Holy Cities
The funeral will include processions in Tehran, the seminary city of Qom, and Najaf and Karbala in neighboring Iraq—holy cities in Shia Islam home to major shrines. Khamenei will be buried in his home city of Mashhad on July 9. Iranian officials say they expect as many as 20 million people to participate in the event.
Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, named as his successor, was injured in the attack that killed his father and has yet to be seen in public. It remains unclear whether he will appear at the funeral. Large crowds gathered early in Tehran, with state television showing the coffins of Khamenei and four family members inside glass boxes draped in the national flag. Khamenei's coffin stood elevated above the others, topped with his signature black turban. Among them was a noticeably smaller coffin belonging to his grandchild, also killed in the strikes.
Mourners Chant for Revenge
By noon local time, footage showed mourners chanting for revenge and pledging allegiance to Mojtaba Khamenei. In remarks carried by Iranian media, Hadi Khamenei, the former supreme leader's brother, said Iran should seek revenge parallel to holding talks with the U.S. about a permanent end to the war. Acknowledging the complexity of the situation, he added, “This was an entirely unprecedented event globally, and it remains unclear how we should deal with the perpetrators.”
Foreign delegates from countries including China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Turkey, and Iraq, as well as from Middle East militias allied to Iran, joined a smaller ceremony on July 3. Among Gulf Arab countries, many attacked by Iran during the initial phase of the conflict, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia sent representatives.
Security and Logistics
Iran has shut down large parts of the capital to accommodate the proceedings, declaring a three-day public holiday and tightening airspace security. Temperatures on July 4 are expected to hit 36°C in Tehran and top 40°C in Qom, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. The funeral was initially planned for March amid the height of fighting but was postponed due to expectations of large crowds. Some attacks have continued despite a preliminary deal to end the war last month.
The revised schedule follows a provisional peace deal with the U.S. signed last month and coincides with the Islamic holy month of Muharram, when Iran's Shia-majority population commemorates the death of the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
