Published on: 04/07/2026 - 07:36 Last updated: 05/07/2026 - 06:26

Iran officially began on Saturday morning the funeral ceremony for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which will continue for six days and include stops in Iraq, before his body is buried in the city of Mashhad. Thousands of mourners have flocked since dawn to the courtyard of Tehran's Grand Mosque, where Khamenei's coffin lies, carrying red flags bearing the words "Martyr." Participants chanted, "Death to America, death to Israel," and "Revenge, revenge." The flow of participants had begun to the place since dawn, and most of them were wearing black. Follow our live coverage.

Two delegations from Hezbollah and Hamas attended Khamenei's funeral ceremony

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

Exclusive photos from the funeral ceremony of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Exclusive photos from France 24 of Iranians carrying Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to his final resting place

Erdogan: Israel should not obstruct the agreement between America and Iran

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that efforts to bring peace to the Middle East cannot succeed without regional support, and that Israel should not be allowed to obstruct the agreement to end the war between the United States and Iran. During a speech he delivered alongside Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Istanbul, Erdogan said, "Any solution that does not derive its strength from the will and contributions of the countries of the region cannot be permanent."

Iranians call for "revenge" at Khamenei's funeral

Thousands of Iranians who flocked to Tehran's Grand Mosque at dawn on Saturday to bid farewell to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei chanted slogans calling for "revenge" for the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, who was killed in American and Israeli raids last February.

Many raised red flags symbolizing revenge with the words “martyr” written on them, and others carried banners with “revenge” written in Persian and English, in addition to Iranian flags and pictures of the late leader and his successor, his son Mojtaba, who has not appeared in public since the American-Israeli war that began on February 28.

Iranians flock to Tehran to attend Khamenei's funeral ceremony

Mourners gathered today, Saturday, in a huge prayer complex in Tehran as the week-long funeral ceremony for the late Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, began, with the playing of the national anthem, the delivery of memorial speeches, and the recitation of verses from the Qur’an.

Over the course of a week, Iran is organizing popular funeral ceremonies for Khamenei in a display of popular loyalty to the clerical regime in the republic.

Islamic and revolutionary enthusiasm, and the first air strike in the American-Israeli war on Iran caused the end of his 37-year rule.

The war in the Middle East reduces interest in the fate of the Gaza Strip

While attention is focused on the date of the next round of American-Israeli negotiations aimed at ending the war in the Middle East, interest has declined in the Gaza Strip, which witnessed a war between Israel and Hamas that led to a fragile ceasefire.

A ceasefire was announced in October 2025 on the basis of a plan by US President Donald Trump that stipulates a complete end to the war and the reconstruction of Gaza.

Ahmed Jamali (53 years old), who lives in a camp for the displaced in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in Gaza City, says, “Since America’s war on Iran, the whole world has forgotten about Gaza and the tragedy of Gaza.”

He added, “We have no father.” “We are a weak and oppressed party, and Israel does everything, kills, destroys, and occupies Gaza, and no one in the world lifts a finger.”

Crowds flock to the prayer hall where Khamenei's coffin lies before the start of his funeral ceremony

Thousands of Iranians flocked to Tehran's Grand Mosque on Saturday to participate in the funeral ceremony of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to what AFP correspondents reported, ahead of the official start of the funeral.

The main courtyard of the huge complex was filled with crowds, while the authorities imposed widespread restrictions on traffic throughout the capital. Another AFP correspondent also saw mourners walking several kilometers to reach the site.

Khamenei's funeral ceremony officially begins (Iranian TV)

Iran officially began on Saturday morning the funeral ceremony for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which will last six days and include stops in Iraq, before his body is buried in the city of Mashhad.

Thousands of mourners have flocked since dawn to the courtyard of Tehran's Grand Mosque, where Khamenei's coffin lies, carrying red flags bearing the words "Martyr."

The participants chanted, "Death to America, death to Israel," and "Revenge, revenge," according to an Agence France-Presse journalist at the scene.

The flow of participants to the place began at dawn. Most of them wore black.

France 24/ Agencies

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