Thousands of Iranians attend funeral of supreme leader Ali Khamenei
Tens of thousands of Iranians packed an open-air prayer complex in Tehran this Saturday (4) to see the coffin of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for 37 years before being killed in February, at the start of the United States and Israel's war against Iran.
Dressed in black and draped in Iranian flags, the citizens present held up posters and printed sheets in A4 format with photos of Khamenei and his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei.
Iran is holding mass funeral processions for Khamenei as a show of public devotion to the Islamic Republic's theocratic state and revolutionary fervor.
According to television footage, the supreme leader's body was taken to an open-air stage for public viewing a day after it was displayed indoors for visits by senior Iranian leaders and foreign officials.
The crowd entered the vast courtyard of Imam Khomeini's Great Mosalla, beating their chests, wailing loudly and waving flags of the Islamic Republic and historical Shiite Muslim martyrs. Women dressed in black chadors wore white visors or held umbrellas to protect themselves from the strong morning sun.
"Let's mourn!", an announcer encouraged the crowd through a loudspeaker. "Everyone shout 'oppressed', everyone say 'Hussein'," he said, invoking Shia traditions of sacrifice, including that of Hussein, Muhammad's grandson. At the signal, the crowd wailed and chanted.
According to Iranian state media, the Israeli attack that killed Khamenei also resulted in the deaths of his daughter, grandson, daughter-in-law and son-in-law.
Among the five coffins placed on a raised platform and covered with Iranian flags, was a smaller one, destined for the ayatollah's 14-month-old granddaughter.
Iran's military and security institutions have vowed revenge for Khamenei's death, and chants of "Death to America" echoed across Mosalla, state broadcaster Seda va Sima reported.
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The funeral takes place at a critical moment for the Islamic Republic, where the ruling clerics - supported by the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) - feel strengthened for having survived what they considered an existential war against their most powerful adversaries.
However, according to analysts, behind the facade of unity and devotion, public support for the Islamic Republic has become extremely fragile.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who has long maintained close ties to the Iranian IRGC elite, has not appeared in public since he was injured in the attack that killed his father.
Thousands of US and Israeli airstrikes hit military targets, as well as energy and civilian infrastructure, during the weeks of war that began with Khamenei's death on February 28. According to state data, the attacks killed more than 3,000 people in the country.
Iran retaliated with attacks on US bases, firing missiles at Israel and a series of attacks on energy targets in Gulf Arab countries, in addition to blocking oil transport through the Strait of Hormuz. At least 13 American service members were killed.
Thousands of other people have died in the region as a result of the war, especially in Lebanon, where Israel continues to fight Hezbollah, a paramilitary group backed by Iran. Attacks and demolitions carried out by Israel have devastated vast civilian areas in southern Lebanon.
The US and Iran reached a fragile ceasefire in early April and signed an initial agreement to halt attacks in June, although some mutual retaliatory attacks still occur.
The rivalry between the US and Iran has contributed to keeping the Middle East in a state of tension, along with Israel's wars against Iranian allies and its campaigns against the Palestinians.
Observers say the war, which has killed many high-ranking Iranian military and security officials, has empowered more extreme leaders in the country, who feel more inclined than the late Khamenei to launch direct attacks against their adversaries.
Shiite martyrdom
Women stand next to the coffins of Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and his family members, in Tehran, Iran July 3, 2026 - REUTERS/Mohammed
In Iran's theocratic system, Khamenei was not only head of state and leader of a revolutionary movement, but also the earthly representative of the 12th imam of Shia Islam, a divinely appointed spiritual leader who disappeared in the century 9.
His death in an enemy attack fits into a strong Shia tradition of martyrdom and mourning.
Khamenei's coffin was unveiled on Thursday night. On Friday, the coffin was laid to rest in the large prayer hall built in honor of his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The coffin will remain in Mosalla until Sunday evening.
In Islam, burials must be carried out within a day of death, but due to the risks of holding a large funeral during war, it was postponed until after last month's provisional truce agreement.
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After what authorities bill as a grand procession in central Tehran next Monday (6), the remains will be taken to the seminary city of Qom, center of Iran's Shiite hierarchy, for ceremonies on Tuesday.
There will then be ceremonies in the sanctuary cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq on Wednesday, attended by senior figures from the regional network of Iranian-backed Shia groups.
He will be buried next Thursday (9), after another procession, in Mashhad, close to the tomb of Imam Reza, a figure of great devotion in Iran.
Authorities plan to mobilize millions of people for large processions in the coming days, offering transportation, food and accommodation to increase the number of participants and encourage a larger portion of Iran's population of more than 90 million to attend the celebrations.
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Source: CNN