Huge crowds fill Tehran streets for Khamenei's funeral procession
Tens of thousands of mourners lined Tehran's boulevards for the funeral of Iran's late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a war sparked by a U.S.-Israeli attack. The procession saw emotional scenes and political slogans, as ceremonies continue across Iran and Iraq.
Massive turnout for funeral march
Tehran witnessed an enormous outpouring of grief as hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets for the funeral procession of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei was killed on the first day of the war with the United States and Israel on February 28. State TV footage showed crowds stretching along a 10-kilometer route from Imam Hossein Square to Azadi Square, passing through Enghelab Square, with many waving Iranian flags and red banners symbolizing vengeance.
Khamenei's body had lain in state for two days at the Grand Mosalla mosque. On Sunday, three of his sons prayed beside his coffin, but Mojtaba, the son who succeeded him as supreme leader, did not appear. He has not been seen in public since reportedly being seriously wounded in the same Israeli airstrike that killed his father and wife.
Political atmosphere and prominent figures
Protesters threw stones at a billboard displaying U.S. President Donald Trump's face, with the text: "The US killed our father. We won't let you go!" Other placards called for Trump's death and urged people to rise up. Former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was seen at the procession, marking his first major public appearance since the war began. Current President Masoud Pezeshkian also walked among mourners and wrote on X that Khamenei taught that Iran's greatest asset is its people and their unity.
Regional and international implications
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that Khamenei was "eliminated by Israel" because he threatened Israel's existence, warning that any future Iranian leader pursuing similar aims would be killed as well.
The funeral comes less than three weeks after Iran and the U.S. signed a preliminary agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of global oil and gas pass. The two sides have two months to reach a final deal covering Iran's nuclear program, sanctions, and a permanent truce. Mediator Qatar reported "positive progress" in indirect talks in Doha, with the next meeting after the funeral events.
Upcoming ceremonies and burial
On Tuesday, a funeral procession and prayers will take place in the central city of Qom, the heart of Iran's Shia clerical establishment. The ceremonies will move to the Iraqi shrine cities of Karbala and Najaf on Wednesday, and conclude on Thursday with Khamenei's burial at the Imam Reza shrine in his hometown of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.
