Mourners Pay Final Respects to Ayatollah Khamenei
On the morning of July 4, 2026, thousands gathered in Tehran to bid farewell to slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. This ceremony came after Khamenei’s death in a U.S.-Israeli attack earlier that year, which escalated tensions in the region.
Mourners, clad in black and carrying Islamic flags, stood in front of the religious leader’s coffin, a somber scene marking the start of a series of memorial services. The previous day, Khamenei’s body had been laid to rest in Grand Mosala, where foreign officials, including representatives from China and India, had paid their respects.
The final burial is anticipated to take place in Mashhad on the following Thursday, with officials estimating that up to 20 million people may attend events across Iran and Iraq. This is likely to be one of the largest funerals in Iran’s history, despite the country’s population of over 90 million, where typically less than 1% attend funerals.
“We came to the funeral because we promised the Supreme Leader we would support him until the end,” said Professor Reza, a 37-year-old attendee, in the courtyard of Grand Mosala. “For a long time, we cried out that we would sacrifice our lives for our leaders, but it was our leaders who sacrificed themselves for us,” he reflected.
Another mourner, Arash Rahimi, 40, shared his sentiments, stating, “Everyone here came to avenge the blood of the supreme leader. As he indicated, we have a longstanding feud with the United States; things are never good between us.”
Reports indicated that chants of “Death to America” were echoing through the mosala during the funeral.
Khamenei was reported dead on February 28; his family, including his daughters and grandsons, were also noted to be present. Interestingly, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has been identified as a leading figure, has not been seen in public since the attack.
On the eve of America’s 250th anniversary, President Trump spoke at Mount Rushmore, claiming Iran “desires to be reconciled” with the U.S. and mentioned that they “kindly” allowed a week off for the funeral.
