Senior Iranian leaders and several sons of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appeared in public on Sunday to attend funeral prayers in Tehran, in one of the first major gatherings of the country's leadership since the recent war with Israel. The ceremony drew hundreds of thousands of mourners and featured renewed calls from some speakers and attendees for revenge against US President Donald Trump.
The public appearance of Iran's senior leadership signalled growing confidence over security following the conflict, during which Israeli air strikes reportedly killed the 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, several members of his family and other senior officials. During the war, Israeli forces also targeted other high-profile Iranian figures, in some cases reportedly using their public appearances to identify them.
Iran's new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, did not attend the funeral. He is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the strike that killed his father. Israel has also threatened to target him as Iran continues negotiations with the United States on a permanent end to the conflict and issues surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil shipping routes.
Funeral prayers at Tehran's Grand Mosalla were led by 97-year-old Shiite cleric Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani. President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Revolutionary Guard commander General Ahmad Vahidi and Quds Force chief Esmail Qaani were among the senior officials present. Khamenei's sons Masoud, Meysam and Mostafa also appeared publicly for the first time since the war.
Posters and graffiti displayed around the venue called for the deaths of Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Poet Mohammad Rasouli, who addressed the gathering before the prayers, led chants of "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" and questioned why Trump was "still alive", prompting loud cheers from the crowd. It marked one of the strongest public threats directed at the US president during the funeral ceremonies.
At the same time, Trump was addressing crowds in Washington during celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. Referring to recent US military operations, he said: "We've had tremendous success. You look at Venezuela, you look at Iran. We wiped it out, wiped out their military."
Sunday's funeral attracted a larger crowd than Saturday's ceremonies. Thousands of mourners dressed in black carried banners praising Khamenei, while some openly demanded retaliation against the United States.
Among them was 42-year-old nurse Ziba Naderi, who said Iran should follow the guidance of its new leader. "I heard the calls for revenge, but our leader should decide what we need to do," she said. "We must follow his instructions."
Another mourner, 29-year-old grocery worker Gholamreza Sabooni, said: "I came here to demand revenge. They killed our leader, so Trump should be killed."
US authorities have monitored Iranian threats against Trump and other American officials for years, particularly after he ordered the 2020 killing of General Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Quds Force. Iran has repeatedly denied plotting to assassinate Trump, although hardline groups have frequently circulated propaganda portraying him as a target. During the recent conflict, Trump also warned that the United States could destroy Iran's civilisation if tensions escalated further.
Iranian authorities said Khamenei's body will be taken to several cities across Iran and neighbouring Iraq before being carried through the streets of Tehran on Monday. National mourning will continue until Thursday, when he will be buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace.
Roads have been closed, airspace restricted and many public activities suspended during the mourning period. Officials have not released an estimate of attendance at the funeral, although similar memorial events were held across the country.
Negotiations with the United States aimed at securing a permanent end to the conflict have been postponed until after the funeral ceremonies. Many mourners said Iran should adopt a firm position when talks resume. "Our foreign policy should ensure that the blood of our martyred leader is respected and that no country can act against Iran without facing a serious response," said mourner Mohammad Reza Sharifi.
