Iran has begun six days of official funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with thousands of mourners gathering in Tehran for the first stage of what authorities expect to become one of the country’s largest public commemorations in decades.
State television showed large crowds assembling at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla on Saturday morning before the arrival of the late supreme leader’s coffin.
Many mourners carried red banners, a symbol often associated with calls for retaliation, while chants including “Death to America” and demands for revenge echoed across the venue.
Officials say between 15 and 20 million people could take part in events in Tehran over the next three days, although those figures have not been independently verified.
Ayatollah Khamenei, who led Iran from 1989 until his death at the age of 86, was killed on the opening day of the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran on 28 February. His death marked the end of more than three decades as the country’s highest political and religious authority.
The funeral programme will continue throughout the week, with the coffin remaining in Tehran until Monday before a public procession through the capital. It will then travel to the religious city of Qom on Tuesday, followed by visits to Shia holy sites in neighbouring Iraq on Wednesday.
The final burial is scheduled for Thursday in Mashhad, Khamenei’s birthplace in north-eastern Iran.
The ceremonies are taking place under extensive security arrangements. Authorities have imposed widespread road closures around key venues, while restrictions on Iranian airspace are also expected during the main events.
The scale of the operation has drawn comparisons with the funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.
Attention is also focused on Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed a week after his father’s death. He has yet to make a public appearance since taking office, communicating only through written statements.
Reports have suggested he was injured during the strikes that killed his father, although Iranian officials have not publicly confirmed the extent of any injuries.
Senior members of Iran’s political and military leadership attended memorial events on Friday, presenting a united front following the recent conflict.
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf appeared visibly emotional during the ceremony, while Ahmad Vahidi, recently appointed head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after his predecessor was killed in the same strikes, was also present.
Several members of Ayatollah Khamenei’s family who died during the conflict are also expected to be laid to rest during the week, including his infant granddaughter.
Foreign dignitaries have travelled to Tehran to offer condolences. Among those attending were Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, representing President Vladimir Putin. Delegations from Hamas, Hezbollah and Afghanistan’s Taliban administration also took part in the commemorations.
The funeral ceremonies are expected to remain under close international scrutiny, both for their political significance and for any public appearance by Iran’s new leadership as the country enters a new chapter following one of the most consequential moments in its modern history.
