Iran began a dayslong funeral Saturday for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, months after an Israeli airstrike killed him at the start of the war. He was 86.
Funeral Procession in Tehran
Khamenei's body was displayed at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran. Early Saturday, mourners wearing black walked through streets emptied of vehicle traffic, trying to reach the Grand Mosalla. Some carried banners and flags, while billboards across the city bore Khamenei's image. A crowd of men rhythmically beat their chests in mourning, a common practice at Shiite funerals.
“I am here to say goodbye to my beloved leader Ali Khamenei,” said a weeping Hananeh Mousavi, 27, who attended alongside her mother. “I never expected to see such a day. I wish I had died before this tragedy.”
Destruction and Remembrance
An outdoor stage set up at the Grand Mosalla resembled the stage where Khamenei once gave speeches at a husseiniyah in his compound in downtown Tehran. That site was destroyed in the Israeli airstrike that killed Khamenei and some of his family on Feb. 28, the start of the Iran war.
Iran’s government expects millions to flood Tehran, reminiscent of the 1989 funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. “We attended to show we are all committed to defend our country and religion,” said Ali Kazemi, who traveled from Tabriz, 530 kilometers away.
Political and Military Context
The large turnout could boost Iran’s government, especially as it leverages control of the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations with the US for a permanent end to the war, amid concerns of further Israeli attacks. Iran chose July 4, the 250th anniversary of US creation, to begin the funeral. Crowds chanted “Death to America!”
US President Donald Trump said in a speech at Mount Rushmore, “We knocked the hell out of Iran. They want to settle so badly. We gave them a week off for a funeral.”
Next Steps and Security
Khamenei’s body will be transported to cities in Iran and neighboring Iraq. Authorities shut down streets, airspace, and daily life in Tehran for the mourning. It remains unclear whether the new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, will appear at his father’s funeral. The late leader appeared at Khomeini’s funeral in 1989, weeping, as he began his decades-long rule.
Israel’s repeated threats to kill Mojtaba Khamenei prompted a warning from Iran’s joint military command Thursday, telling Israel and the US “to avoid any miscalculation” in the coming days.
