In Tehran, the coffin of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei rests at the Grand Mosalla, surrounded by mourners and senior regime figures. A withdrawal ceremony will see the remains travel from Tehran to Qom, then to Iraq and finally to Mashhad for burial.
While President Masoud Pezeshkian, Revolutionary Guards chief Ahmad Vahidi and other officials march with the body, the eldest son Mojtaba Khamenei is missing from the proceedings. Reports suggest he was wounded in the air strikes that killed his father, and he has not appeared publicly since March. His younger brothers Masoud, Mostafa and Meysam were present at the service.
The funeral is being described by Iranian authorities as the “funeral of the century,” with 12 to 20 million people expected across the country and in neighbouring Iraq. Thousands of citizens line the streets, many crying and chanting, while temperatures approach the mid‑30s.
Security forces have stepped up in Tehran and medical stations have reported more than 4,000 people received treatment, but no casualties have been confirmed. Mourners were sprayed with mist to keep them cool during the procession.
Internationally, the event has drawn sharp rhetoric from U.S. officials, with former President Donald Trump commenting on the pause of peace talks over the funeral. These statements came amid calls from Iranians to retaliate against Israel and the United States, causing additional tensions in the region.
