©picture alliance / NurPhoto | Firdous Nazir
Tens of thousands of mourners participated Monday in Tehran in the funeral procession for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in February during an airstrike in the opening phase of the war between Iran, Israel, and the United States. The procession made its way through the Iranian capital at a time when the country is both mourning and flexing its political muscles.
Khamenei’s coffin, draped in the Iranian flag, was driven through the city on a truck decorated with religious symbols, along with the coffins of family members who also died in the attack. Aerial footage from Iranian state television showed the crowd stretching for kilometers from Azadi Square along a wide main road in Tehran.
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The authorities wanted to use the massive turnout to demonstrate that the Islamic Republic still enjoys public support, while Tehran negotiates with Washington over a possible definitive end to the war. At the same time, the atmosphere remained grim: along the route, people carried signs and banners calling for the death of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Today, as we are here for our leader’s funeral, it is a very difficult day,” mourner Fatima Hassan told the Associated Press. “We are not here to say goodbye to him; we are here for revenge. And we will take revenge.”
Some attendees touched the truck or waved scarves and other objects toward the coffin, a custom often seen as a blessing in Iran. Because the crowd was so large, officials used loudspeakers to urge people to walk calmly and keep the sides of the street clear.
The funeral ceremonies will last several days and are set to conclude with the burial in Mashhad, Khamenei’s hometown. According to AP, roads and airspace have been temporarily closed, while talks with the United States appear to have stalled for the time being.
©picture alliance / NurPhoto | Firdous Nazir - Illustrative image: A Kashmiri Shiite mourner steps on a banner bearing images of U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a Muharram procession in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, on June 24, 2026.