Thousands Gather in Tehran for Ali Khamenei's Funeral

Thousands of mourners gathered at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, to attend the funeral procession for Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which commenced on Saturday and is expected to last for a week.

The funeral procession began with the singing of the national anthem, Quranic recitations, and religious sermons, according to reports from Iran’s state broadcaster, IRIB.

The casket containing Khamenei’s remains was displayed publicly in a glass case to allow mourners to pay their final respects.

The funeral procession for Ali Khamenei officially began on Friday (2/7), attended by foreign leaders and official delegations from across Iran and abroad to pay their respects to the deceased Supreme Leader.

According to Iran’s national airline, additional special flights on the Tehran-Mashhad route have been added to meet the increased travel demand from mourners attending the funeral.

According to the official schedule, memorial services for the passing of Ali Khamenei will continue in Tehran throughout the weekend, attended by several heads of state, senior officials, and religious figures.

Subsequently, on Wednesday (8/7), ceremonies are scheduled to take place in Iraq—including in Baghdad, Najaf, and Karbala—where the remains will be received by religious and political figures before being moved to major Shia holy sites.

The funeral procession and burial of Ali Khamenei will take place on Thursday (9/7) at the Imam Reza Shrine in the city of Mashhad, one of the holiest sites for Shia Muslims. Khamenei died during an US-Israel attack on Iran on 28 February.