Huge crowds gather in Iran as funeral ceremonies for assassinated supreme leader begin

AI Summary

Funeral ceremonies for Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, assassinated in a US-Israeli strike, began with huge crowds gathering in Tehran. The events, observing significant security measures, serve as a show of strength and are attended by millions, while the new supreme leader, Khamenei's son, remains publicly absent.

Funeral ceremonies for Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei — who was assassinated in a US-Israeli strike on the first day of the Middle East conflict — officially began on Saturday, state television reported, an event drawing thousands and intended to serve as a show of strength to the Islamic republic’s foes. Iranian authorities said they anticipate between 15 and 20 million participants in Tehran alone over the next three days for tributes to the man who ran the country for three-and-a-half decades. Six days of funeral ceremonies are planned to commemorate Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic republic as its number one from 1989 until his assassination aged 86 on the first day of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28. The events will be scrutinised in particular for any signs of Khamenei’s son and successor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was named supreme leader a week after the killing of his father but is yet to appear in public. Thousands of mourners carrying red banners gathered in the courtyard of Tehran’s vast Grand Mosalla religious complex, waiting for the arrival of Khamenei’s coffin. People attend a public farewell ceremony to pay their respects to assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, in Tehran, Iran July 4, 2026. — Reuters Chants of “death to America” and “revenge, revenge” echoed at the venue. “We came (to the funeral) because we promised the supreme leader we would stand by him to the very end,” 37-year-old university professor Reza, who gave only one name, told AFP. “For a long time, we shouted that we would sacrifice our lives for the leader, but it was he who sacrificed himself for us.” Javad Akbari, 43, a food-processing plant worker, said: “I never had the chance to see the supreme leader up close, and I regret that. Today, I have come to bid him a final farewell.” An AFP journalist saw mourners walking several kilometres to reach the venue. Hundreds of supporters of the Islamic republic had begun arriving on Friday evening outside the Grand Mosalla. People gather for a public farewell ceremony to pay their respects to assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, in Tehran, Iran on July 4, 2026. — Reuters “We want to say a final goodbye to our leader, which is why waiting like this isn’t painful or difficult for us,” Somayye Hamedi told AFP. Significant security measures have been imposed, with roads blocked and airspace expected to be closed for what is set to be the largest-scale public event in Iran since the burial of Khamenei’s predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. Security personnel stand guard as mourners gather at the start of the funeral ceremonies of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran on July 4, 2026. — AFP ‘Final goodbye’ The coffin will lie in state until Monday, when a procession will pass through Tehran. On Tuesday, it will move to the clerical hub of Qom, before moving on Wednesday to cities holy to Shia Muslims in neighbouring Iraq, then proceeding for burial on Thursday in Khamenei’s home city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran. Officials who survived the war showed their grief and displayed a united front on Friday, with parliament speaker and top negotiator in the US talks Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visibly tearful. Top Iranian officials paying their respects included Ahmad Vahidi, who was named chief of the powerful Revolutionary Guards after his predecessor was assassinated in the same strikes that killed Khamenei, but had not been seen since. People attend a public farewell ceremony to pay their respects to assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, in Tehran, Iran July 4, 2026. — Reuters The coming days will be closely watched for signs of Mojtaba Khamenei, who has communicated only by written statements and is said to have been wounded in the same strikes, though the extent of his injuries was never made clear. Other relatives killed in the strikes will also be buried, including Ali Khamenei’s infant granddaughter. International guests paying respects on Friday included Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has been mediating between Iran and the US, and Russian ex-president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy head of the Russian security council, who attended on behalf of President Vladimir Putin. Mourners gather at the Grand Mosalla to pay their final respects to Iran’s slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the start of his funeral ceremonies in Tehran on July 4, 2026. — AFP Hamas and Hezbollah were also represented, as was the Taliban government in Afghanistan. ‘Call for vengeance’ After five weeks of fighting, the Middle East conflict is on hold following an initial accord between Iran and the United States. But Iranian officials have warned Tehran is ready to resume