Millions Mourn Khamenei as Iran Begins Six-Day Funeral Procession

The death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a February US-Israeli strike has left Iran navigating a leadership transition under his son Mojtaba while still recovering from 109 days of war. On July 4, tens of thousands filled Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla for the first public viewing of the 86-year-old’s flag-draped coffin, placed inside a glass case beside the caskets of four family members also killed in the attack. Black-clad mourners waved Iranian flags and chanted calls for revenge as loudspeakers broadcast Quranic recitations and elegies.

The six-day program runs through July 9. After ceremonies in Tehran, the procession moves to Qom on July 7, then to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq on July 8, before burial at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad on July 9. Iranian authorities have opened more than 5,000 schools and converted highways into parking to handle an expected 10 to 20 million participants, according to statements from Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani and state media. Security is managed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Basij forces.

Mojtaba Khamenei, installed as the new Supreme Leader, has not appeared publicly since the strikes and is absent from the events. Foreign delegations from more than 30 countries attended closed sessions on July 3, including representatives from China, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq; the United States sent none. The timing overlaps with the first ten days of Muharram and US Independence Day celebrations.

Chants of “Revenge, revenge” and “Death to America” were recorded by state broadcaster Seda va Sima and multiple wire services. Water was misted from rooftops to ease 93-degree heat. The ceremonies follow months of delay attributed to ongoing fighting, with the final burial expected to draw the largest single-day crowds.