Huge crowds gathered across Tehran on Monday for the funeral procession of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the opening day of the recent war involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
Iranian state television showed tens of thousands of mourners lining a 10 kilometer (6 mile) route as Khamenei’s flag draped coffin was carried through the capital on a lorry passing the landmark Enghelab Square.
The procession followed two days during which Khamenei’s body lay in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Mosque.
Public Mourning Draws Massive Crowds
The funeral procession moved slowly through central Tehran, beginning at Imam Hossein Square in the east and ending at Azadi Square in the west on the final day of public mourning in the capital.
Iranian state media claimed that millions of mourners filled the city’s main boulevards, surrounding the vehicle carrying Khamenei’s coffin along with those of four members of his family.
Many participants waved Iranian flags and carried red banners symbolizing vengeance.
Others held signs reading “We Must Rise”, while some displayed placards calling for the death of U.S. President Donald Trump, accusing the United States and Israel of responsibility for the conflict that claimed thousands of lives.
Footage also showed mourners throwing stones at a billboard featuring President Trump with the message:
“The US killed our father. We won’t let you go!”
Family and Political Leaders Attend
Three of Khamenei’s sons attended prayers beside his coffin on Sunday at the Grand Mosalla Mosque.
However, Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as Iran’s Supreme Leader, did not appear publicly.
He has not been seen since reportedly suffering serious injuries during the Israeli air strike on February 28 that killed both his father and his mother.
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was also present during the procession, marking what appeared to be his first major public appearance since the conflict began. Reports indicate three of his bodyguards were killed in a strike near his residence during the war.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was filmed walking among mourners through the streets of Tehran.
Earlier, he posted on X that Khamenei had taught Iranians that the country’s “greatest asset” was “its people and their unity.”
He pledged that the nation would continue on the path of “honour, progress and glory.”
Israel Defends Strike
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Khamenei had been “eliminated by Israel” because of what he described as threats to Israel’s existence.
He warned that any future Iranian leader who pursued plans to destroy Israel would face the same fate.
Funeral Takes Place Amid Diplomatic Efforts
The funeral ceremonies are being held less than three weeks after Iran and the United States signed a preliminary agreement aimed at ending the recent conflict and reopening the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20 percent of global oil and gas shipments pass.
Under the agreement, both countries have given themselves two months to negotiate a comprehensive deal covering Iran’s nuclear program, U.S. sanctions and a permanent ceasefire.
Qatar, which has been mediating between the two sides, said recent indirect talks in Doha showed positive progress, with another round of negotiations expected after the conclusion of the funeral ceremonies.
Final Burial in Mashhad
The funeral ceremonies will continue beyond Tehran over the coming days.
On Tuesday, a funeral procession and prayers will be held in the holy city of Qom, the center of Iran’s Shia Muslim clerical establishment.
The ceremonies will then move to the Iraqi shrine cities of Karbala and Najaf on Wednesday.
The mourning period will conclude on Thursday, when Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is laid to rest at the Imam Reza Shrine in his hometown of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.
Source: BBC
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