Massive Crowds Attend Funeral Procession for Ali Khamenei

Mourners in Tehran have gathered to pay their respects to the late Iranian leader, with authorities expecting up to 20 million participants throughout the week-long funeral ceremonies ending July 9.

Funeral Proceedings and Public Attendance

The casket holding the body of Ali Khamenei has been placed in the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque. Beside him rest the remains of his relatives killed alongside him during the first day of the war: one daughter, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and a three-year-old granddaughter.

On Friday, Iranian officials led by President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf paid tribute, joined by approximately 30 foreign delegations. On Saturday morning, the public portion of the ceremony began, allowing ordinary citizens to bid farewell.

Calls for Retaliation in Tehran

Crowds of mourners dressed in black gathered before the main mosque, with supporters of the Islamic regime chanting slogans against the United States and demanding revenge for the Ayatollah’s assassination. One attendee stated that while they long claimed they would sacrifice their lives for the leader, it was he who sacrificed himself for them.

Arash Rahimi, a 40-year-old participant, emphasized that everyone had come to avenge their supreme leader and declared that their relations with the United States would never be good.

Logistics of the Funeral Tour

The casket will remain in the Grand Mosque until Monday morning, followed by a funeral procession through Tehran. On Tuesday, ceremonies will continue in the holy city of Qom, approximately 140 kilometers south of the capital.

On Wednesday, the body will be transported to the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala, the two most important Shiite pilgrimage sites, where it will be displayed for the faithful. Khamenei will be buried on Thursday, July 9, in Mashhad, the holy city in northeastern Iran where he was born.

Absence of the New Supreme Leader

It remains unclear if the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who took office following his father’s death in early March, will participate in the ceremonies. Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in the attack that killed Ali Khamenei and has not appeared in public since, communicating only through attributed statements.

While the official reasons for his absence are unknown, speculation suggests he fears another assassination attempt or is still recovering. Ali Khamenei was the longest-serving supreme leader since the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979.