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

Thousands of mourners filled the streets of Tehran on Saturday as Iran began six days of state funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in a US-Israeli airstrike at the start of the war on 28 February. Footage showed crowds surrounding Khamenei’s glass-encased coffin in the Grand Mosalla prayer complex, weeping, chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel,” and beating their chests in Shiite mourning rites. Iranian authorities estimated between 15 and 20 million people would gather in the capital during the rites, which will move through Qom and Iraq before burial in Mashhad on 9 July .

The ceremonies opened with the national anthem, religious eulogies and readings from the Koran, attended by hundreds of Iranian officials and foreign dignitaries including the prime ministers of Pakistan and Armenia and the presidents of Iraq, Tajikistan and Georgia . Mourners carried portraits of Khamenei’s son and successor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, whose public absence since his March appointment has fuelled speculation about his health and the regime’s stability .

Security was unprecedented, with a 1.5-kilometre exclusion zone around the Grand Mosalla, limited air traffic over Tehran and heavy police presence across the city. Authorities warned that any attacks during the public rites would be met with “harsh retaliation,” underscoring the sensitivity of the event amid ongoing US-Israeli tensions . State media framed the week-long processions as a demonstration of national unity and regime continuity after months of war and domestic unrest, though critics note the crowds reflect hardline factions rather than broader public sentiment .

Khamenei’s coffin, displayed in a glass case, was the focal point of the mourning, with mourners chanting “We must rise up and, God willing, avenge our leader’s blood” and carrying banners including one reading “Kill Trump” . The funeral will pause for a day of national mourning on 11 July as Iran and the US resume peace talks, according to Iranian state media .