Millions gather in Tehran for Khamenei's funeral, demanding revenge as US-Iran talks hang in balance
Four months after Ali Khamenei was killed in Israeli-American strikes, his public funeral opened in Tehran on Saturday, with authorities expecting up to 20 million mourners and chants of 'Death to America' echoing through the Grand Mosalla.
Funeral begins at Grand Mosalla
Thousands of mourners, many dressed in black, arrived before dawn at Tehran's Grand Mosalla, where the coffin of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was placed under the complex's vast dome. The state television announced the start of the public homage around 06:00 local time. The coffin, draped with Khamenei's black turban, was flanked by rows of Iranian flags and surrounded by large portraits from different stages of his life, including images from the Iran-Iraq war.
We want to give a final farewell to our leader, and that is why the wait is not painful or difficult for us.
Revenge and anti-Western chants
Mourners waved red Shiite flags inscribed with 'martyr' and yellow Hezbollah banners. A eulogy reciter shouted, 'We are not here for a funeral, but for revenge,' as the crowd wept. Chants of 'Death to America, death to Israel' and banners with the hashtag '#KillTrump' were visible. Several attendees directly blamed Israel for the killing, while others called the US the ultimate orchestrator.
Israel killed the supreme leader, not the United States. So Israel must be destroyed.
Israel is nothing but America's rabid dog. We know where the orders come from. The Americans give them the equipment and the military targets. Without the Americans, they can do nothing.
Security lockdown and political backdrop
The city centre was turned into a fortress with numerous police checkpoints. Over 400 tents from the Iranian Red Crescent were set up in a large park, along with water trucks to cool the crowds. The regime opened its doors to international media for the first time since the war began, aiming to showcase the destruction from the bombings and the population's devotion. The funeral comes six months after major protests over the cost of living and the government, and just weeks after the US and Iran signed a framework agreement in June to end the conflict.
Succession and family tragedy
Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as Supreme Leader in early March, was not confirmed to be present. Injured in the same attacks that killed his father, he has only communicated through attributed statements and has not appeared publicly. Alongside Ali Khamenei's coffin, authorities displayed the coffins of family members killed on the first day of the war: a daughter, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and a 14-month-old granddaughter.
- Ali Khamenei killed in Israeli-American airstrikes on his Tehran residence.
- Mojtaba Khamenei succeeds as Supreme Leader; injured in the same attacks, he does not appear publicly.
- US and Iran sign a framework agreement to end the war (exact date not specified, reported as 'last month').
- Public funeral begins at Grand Mosalla in Tehran; coffin displayed.
- Coffin remains at Mosalla for public viewing.
- Funeral parade through Tehran streets.
- Six-day funeral concludes after processions in other Iranian cities and two Shiite shrines in Iraq.
Six-day journey across Iran and Iraq
The funeral ceremonies are scheduled to last six days. After remaining at the Mosalla until Sunday, the body will be paraded through Tehran's streets on Monday. The procession will then travel to other Iranian cities and to two Shiite shrines in neighbouring Iraq. Originally planned for March but postponed due to the war, the event is expected to be the largest funeral in Iran's history.
