Iran has begun its massive six‑day state funeral rites for their former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the joint U.S.–Israeli strikes on February 28.
The ceremonies will stretch from July 3 to July 9, moving through Tehran, Qom, Najaf, Karbala, and finally Mashhad for burial. Officials say up to 20 million mourners may attend, making it one of the largest state funerals in modern Middle Eastern history.
Security is tight, temperatures are high, and foreign dignitaries from more than 30 nations are arriving.
According to live footage from Reuters shows hundreds marching along car-free streets, with women carrying bouquets of white flowers. Others carried banners and flags while billboards across the city bore Khamenei’s image.
The body was placed at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla complex, where millions are expected to gather in the coming days. New visuals show his coffin draped with the sacred red flag of the Imam Reza Shrine, a symbol of martyrdom in Shia tradition.
Scores of Iranians, mostly wearing black-coloured clothes, gathered at Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran on Saturday as the country kicked off a multi-day funeral for its late Supreme Leader.
The funeral marks a turning point for Iran after months of war and a fragile ceasefire. It also sets the stage for the first major public event under Khamenei’s successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained out of sight since the attack. The scale of the crowds will be watched closely as a measure of public sentiment and the government’s ability to mobilize support during a volatile moment for the region.
The scale of the six-day funeral has been conceived to relay political and religious messages of resistance to the rest of the world. As many as 30 million people may attend. At the request of Iraqi politicians, Khamenei’s body will also be carried through the Iraqi Shia cities of Karbala and Najaf.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's burial is scheduled for July 9, 2026. The final interment will take place at the Imam Reza Shrine in his birthplace of Mashhad, Iran. His burial was delayed due to active wartime conditions following his death in February.