TEHRAN – Iran started a massive six-day funeral for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with tens of thousands of mourners gathering at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla hours before his remains arrived and authorities expecting between 15 million and 20 million people to participate in funeral ceremonies across Iran and Iraq.
Crowds thronged capital’s largest religious and cultural complex ahead of the arrival of Khamenei’s body. Many mourners waved red flags, widely regarded as symbols of a call for revenge, while chanting slogans including “Death to America” and “Revenge, Revenge”.
🚨🇮🇷 Chants of "Death to America" echoed through Tehran's Grand Mosalla during the farewell ceremony for the martyred leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as thousands of mourners gathered for the state funeral. 🇺🇸#Iran #America #Khamenei pic.twitter.com/qIbBhDmYno
— NATO NEWS (@NATO307287741) July 4, 2026
The week long public mourning programme officially commenced on Saturday morning with a two-day public farewell ceremony at Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran. The venue opened to mourners at 6:00am local time on July 4 and will remain accessible until 8:00pm on July 5, when the public farewell concludes. The main funeral prayers are scheduled to be offered on the morning of July 5.
The funeral ceremonies follow an international tribute event held on July 3, attended by world leaders and official delegations from several countries. Pakistan was represented by a high-level delegation led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Alongside Khamenei’s coffin, the coffins of several members of his family have also been placed before mourners, including his daughter Boshra Hosseini Khamenei, daughter-in-law Zahra Haddad Adel (wife of Mojtaba Khamenei), son-in-law Misbah al-Hoda Baqeri, and granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi.
Khamenei Funeral
On July 6, a massive funeral procession will begin in Tehran at 6:00am local time. Organisers have mapped out an extended route across the capital, saying no single road can accommodate the expected turnout. Next day on July 7, funeral prayers and a procession will take place in Qom, beginning at approximately 5:00am, with a senior cleric leading prayers inside Jamkaran Mosque.
On July 8, the body is expected to arrive in Najaf on the evening of July 7. Funeral processions will then be held in Najaf at 6:00am and Karbala at 4:00pm before the remains are returned to Iran. Khamenei will then be buried at the Shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, one of Shia Islam’s holiest sites, on July 9.
Millions expected in Tehran as Iran officially starts public funeral for Ali Khamenei
