The funeral ceremony for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei began in Tehran on Saturday, amid chants denouncing America and Israel and demanding revenge, more than four months after his killing on the first day of the American-Israeli war. Thousands of mourners flocked to the courtyard of Tehran's Grand Mosque where the coffin was placed, carrying red flags bearing the words "Martyr." This funeral is scheduled to last six days, including memorial stations in Iraq, before the route ends with the burial of the body in his hometown of Mashhad.

Published on: 04/07/2026 - 23:03 Last updated: 05/07/2026 - 12:42

A black scarf wrapped around the Iranian capital and angry chants demanding “revenge.” This is how Iran began on Saturday morning the funeral ceremony for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, more than four months after his killing on the first day of the American-Israeli war.

Thousands of mourners flocked to the courtyard of Tehran's Grand Mosque where the coffin was placed, carrying red flags with the words "Martyr" written on them, and chanting slogans of "Death to America and Death to Israel." This funeral is scheduled to last six days, including memorial stops in Iraq, before the itinerary ends with burial in his hometown of Mashhad.

Read also: Live: Tehran officially begins the funeral ceremony for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with the participation of thousands of Iranians

Khamenei's coffin, with his black turban placed on it, was laid out, and next to it were the coffins of four members of his family who were killed with him on February 28, when the war began.

Footage from Agence France-Presse showed thousands of participants in the ceremony raising their fists in the air to chants of “Death to America, Death to Israel.” Others carried banners with the word “revenge” written in Persian and English, in addition to pictures of the late Supreme Leader, Iranian flags, and red ones with the words “Martyr.”

Muhammad Mir Salehi, a 38-year-old cleric, said, “The leader was a father to all of us. With his passing, we all feel like orphans... There is no one like him. He was unique and unparalleled.”

Others chanted slogans calling for "revenge." Student Hamid Reda Shabani (18 years old) said, "We have to rise up, and God willing, we will avenge the blood of our leader."

Most of the participants, of all ages, were wearing black. Many sat on the ground, crying or looking emotional, while Quranic recitations, supplications, and religious songs rang out around.

The ceremony will last six days, and will include stops in Iraq, before the body is buried in Mashhad in northeastern Iran. The authorities said they expected between 15 and 20 million people to participate in the ceremony in Tehran alone.

Will Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader, appear?

There is anticipation about the possibility of Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader's son, who was wounded in the war, participating in the ceremony. Note that he has not appeared in public since the start of the war. He was elected Supreme Leader to succeed his father in March, and has since been content with issuing written statements.

The capital is witnessing a heavy security presence and police checkpoints.

Reza, a 37-year-old university professor, said he came to have a last look at Khamenei, “because we promised the Supreme Leader to stay with him until the end.”

He added: "This whole crowd came for him. We repeatedly shouted to him that our lives were sacrificed for him, but he was the one who sacrificed his life for us."

Millions of Iranians did not know a guide for the Islamic Republic other than Khamenei, who succeeded the founder of the Republic, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. Khamenei also served as President of the Republic during the war with Iraq (1980-1988).

The years of his rule were marked by confrontation with the United States, with which Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding more than two weeks ago to end the war in the Middle East.

Official delegations give their last salute to the casket

Representatives of Hezbollah and Hamas attended the funeral ceremony on Saturday and met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, state media reported.

For years, Tehran has supported the Palestinian Hamas movement, the Lebanese Hezbollah, and the Yemeni Houthis, and the three organizations are listed on terrorist lists in the United States and other Western countries, which has subjected them to international sanctions.

The Hezbollah delegation included officials and families of dead and wounded members, according to what the party told Lebanese media. The delegation was headed by former Minister Mohamed Fneish.

For its part, Hamas stated that the head of the movement’s Leadership Council, Muhammad Dawish, headed its delegation.

Friday was designated for official delegations to salute the coffin, led by an Iranian delegation that included the heads of the three authorities in the country, and military leaders, some of whom appeared in public for the first time since the outbreak of the war.

Foreign visitors also greeted, including Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, whose country plays the role of mediator in the US-Iranian negotiations, and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, representing Vladimir Putin.

A delegation from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Qatari, Egyptian, and Omani delegations also participated in greeting, in addition to representatives of regional organizations allied with Tehran.

On Thursday, the Speaker of the Iranian Shura Council, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, called on “all the Iranian people... to write a glorious page in the history of Islamic Iran through your presence,” describing the funeral as “one of the most important moments” in Iran’s history.

The airspace over the capital will be partially closed from Friday, and completely on Monday.

France 24/ Agencies

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