Key facts
- Iran began a six-day funeral ceremony for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
- Khamenei died on February 28 in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes.
- Millions are expected to attend funeral processions in Iran and Iraq.
- Khamenei's 14-month-old granddaughter was among family members killed in the strike.
- Successor Mojtaba Khamenei is absent from public funeral events due to security concerns and injuries sustained in the strike.
Iran has commenced a six-day funeral ceremony for its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at age 86 in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on February 28. The funeral events are designed as a significant display of national mourning, power, and resilience, with millions of Iranians and international dignitaries expected to attend.
Roadblocks, stalls, and army vans began appearing across Tehran in preparation for the ceremonies, which are intended to convey messages of resistance to the West. Khamenei's coffin was displayed for the first time at an indoor ceremony late Thursday, eliciting strong emotional responses from mourners. The body was subsequently moved to the Grand Mosalla mosque, where it will lie for three days.
Leaders from Iraq, Pakistan, Armenia, and Tajikistan, along with 12 heads of parliament primarily from Arab states, attended Friday's farewell ceremony. Notably absent from public funeral events is Mojtaba Khamenei, the son and designated successor of Ayatollah Khamenei, who was reportedly injured in the same strike that killed his father and other family members, including his 14-month-old daughter.
Iranian officials, including IRGC commander Ahmad Vahidi and President Masoud Pezeshkian, have emphasized messages of resistance and vowed that Iran will not surrender. The scale of the funeral is unprecedented, with organizers anticipating up to 30 million attendees. The event also includes processions through Iraqi Shia cities of Kerbala and Najaf at the request of Iraqi politicians. Security remains a concern due to the ongoing conflict and the potential for terrorism.