Thousands mourn as Iran begins six-day state funeral for late Supreme Leader Khamenei

Thousands of mourners filled the streets of Tehran on Saturday as Iran began six days of state funeral ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in a US-Israeli airstrike on 28 February at the start of the war. The body of the 86-year-old cleric lay in state in the Grand Mosalla prayer complex, where officials said between 15 and 20 million people would gather over the weekend alone, making it one of the largest funeral processions in modern Iranian history.

The ceremonies opened with a closed state tribute on Friday attended by regional leaders including the prime ministers of Pakistan and Armenia, the presidents of Iraq, Tajikistan and Georgia, and delegations from Russia, China, Syria, Lebanon and Afghanistan. Iranian authorities framed the event as a national referendum on the Islamic Republic, with Qom Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Mohammad Saidi declaring that the turnout would “in effect be another referendum for the Islamic Republic” .

Mourners wept as the casket, displayed in a glass case, was unveiled in the Grand Mosalla, with many chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” and demanding vengeance for Khamenei’s killing. Banners carried images of his son and designated successor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since his appointment in March. A large red banner read “Kill Trump,” reflecting widespread anger at the US president, whom many Iranians blame for the strike .

Security was unprecedented, with a 1.5-kilometre exclusion zone around the mosque, restricted airspace over Tehran and heavy police presence across the capital. Authorities said the funeral would move through Qom on 7 July, cross into Iraq for ceremonies in Baghdad, Najaf and Karbala on 8 July, and conclude with burial at the Imam Ali Reza shrine in Mashhad on 9 July, where up to 8.5 million people are expected to attend .

The week-long rites come as Iran and the US remain in a state of frozen conflict following a memorandum of understanding signed on 17 June, though sporadic exchanges have continued. Iranian commanders warned Washington and Jerusalem against any “miscalculation” during the ceremonies, with Revolutionary Guard commander Ali Abdollahi stating that “enemies of Iran” should avoid a “miscalculation” or face harsh retaliation .

Analysts noted that while the regime seeks to project unity, public discontent persists amid economic hardship and the memory of January protests that left more than 7,000 dead according to foreign-based NGOs. Yet the scale of the mourning—with families of war victims, war veterans and ordinary citizens converging on the capital—underscored the enduring symbolic power of Khamenei’s leadership, even after his death .