Tehran becomes a fortress for Ali Khamenei's funeral 4 months after death in Israeli and US attacks

Iran plans three-day funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
Tehran was transformed into a fortress to host the funeral of Iran's former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. The ceremonies begin four months after his death in the attacks by Israel and the United States that triggered the war.
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Khamenei, who was the longest serving supreme leader since the creation of the Islamic Republic in 1979, died at the age of 86. He was killed on February 28, when his residence was hit by bombings from Israel and the United States.
Authorities expect between 15 million and 20 million people in the Iranian capital alone during the three days of tributes.
The funeral is also seen as a show of strength after the nearly 40-day war against Israel and the United States, which left thousands of civilians dead and killed senior Iranian leaders.
The presence of Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, who took over as supreme leader in early March, has not yet been confirmed. According to the state press, he was injured in the attacks that killed his father and, since then, has only spoken out through written messages.
At the entrance to the mosque where the coffin will be laid to rest, workers were making the final preparations in the intense heat. An AFP team gained access to the site.
"People will come from all over Iran. There will be a lot of people," Hosein Moghadassi, a 43-year-old employee, commented in a low voice.
During the night of Thursday (2), the first funeral ceremony was held with the presence of family members of those killed in the Iran-Iraq War, members of the supreme leader's office and members of the Revolutionary Guard. Public tributes will begin at the weekend.
The expectation is that part of the public will begin to form lines on Friday night. The gates will open at 6am on Saturday (4) local time. The Mosalla religious complex, where the wake will take place, will remain open day and night until Monday (6).
Afterwards, the coffin will follow in a procession through the streets of Tehran. On Tuesday (7), he will be taken to the holy city of Qom.
Authorities from around 30 countries are expected, mainly from the region. Among those confirmed are former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
China will be represented by He Wei, a senior member of Parliament. No European leader was invited.
State Funeral
Ali Khamenei's coffin in a funeral ceremony in Iran, on July 2, 2026
Mehr News
Khamenei's state funeral was initially scheduled for March, but was postponed because of the war. According to Iranian authorities, it will be the largest in the country's history.
In 1989, around 10 million people attended the funeral of the founder of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, according to official figures. On that occasion, riots caused more than ten deaths.
Next to Khamenei's coffin, family members who died with him on the first day of the war will also lie in state. Among them are a daughter, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter.
Images of the former leader with his fist raised, a symbol of his resistance to the West, were spread around the ceremony site.
Banners also pay tribute to Khamenei. One of them says: "Your name will remain eternal in this land of gold." Across the city, panels and posters refer to the former leader as a "martyr".
Fortress
A member of Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada stands guard in front of a mural depicting the late Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani
The funeral takes place amid tension. Iran maintains a ceasefire considered fragile with the United States, while the country also faces a context of internal dissatisfaction following demonstrations against the high cost of living and the government.
Since Thursday, Tehran has been surrounded by a strong security system. A wide perimeter was closed to vehicles.
The capital's airport operates partially closed and will completely stop activities on Monday, which will be a national holiday. Shopping centers closed their doors, and companies were forced to suspend operations.
Ali Khamenei will be buried on July 9 in the holy city of Meshed, in northeastern Iran, where he was born. Before that, the coffin will pass through Iraq, a country with a Shiite majority, on Wednesday (8).
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Source: G1