Millions bid final farewell to Ali Khamenei

Mojtaba absent at father’s funeral prayers as security concern

Millions of mourners flooded the streets of Tehran on Monday for the funeral procession of Iran’s assassinated supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in one of the largest public gatherings in the country’s recent history.

The vast procession, stretching across the Iranian capital from Revolution Square to Azadi Square, marked the most significant event of a seven-day mourning period following Khamenei’s death in an Israeli air strike on 28 February at the outset of the Iran war.

The ceremony was widely viewed by Iranian authorities as a demonstration of national unity and resilience after months of conflict and political turmoil.

Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin, accompanied by the remains of several family members killed in the same attack, was carried through Tehran on a specially decorated vehicle.

Mourners dressed in black waved Iranian flags, red banners symbolising vengeance, and portraits of the late leader while chanting religious slogans and calls for retaliation against Iran’s adversaries.

Authorities estimated that millions participated in the procession, although no official attendance figure was immediately released.

Images broadcast by state media showed densely packed crowds lining major boulevards and filling public squares across the capital.

The funeral procession followed two days of lying in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla religious complex, where thousands gathered to pay their respects.

The route through the city was expected to take between 10 and 12 hours to complete.

The turnout represented a remarkable display of public mobilisation in a country that only months earlier had witnessed widespread anti-government protests and a deadly security crackdown.

Iranian officials portrayed the crowds as evidence of enduring support for the Islamic Republic despite the devastating war with the United States and Israel.

President Masoud Pezeshkian praised the mourners’ conduct and dismissed claims that public grief had been orchestrated by the authorities.

“This greatness, these tears that flow from the eyes of girls, men and children, is not something that can be created by order,” Pezeshkian said. “The world sees this truth.”

The president argued that the conflict had strengthened national cohesion and reinforced support for the state.

He also accused Israel of committing crimes in the region with the backing of the United States and European countries.

Anti-American sentiment featured prominently throughout the procession. State media reported that mourners displayed effigies of US President Donald Trump and carried placards bearing images of senior American and Israeli officials.

Chants demanding revenge for Khamenei’s death echoed through the crowds, while some participants displayed slogans threatening retaliation.

The funeral also underscored the political transition now under way in Iran.

Senior members of the Iranian leadership attended ceremonies on Sunday, including former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and top commanders of the Revolutionary Guards.

However, the absence of Khamenei’s successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, attracted considerable attention.

Officials said the new supreme leader did not attend because of security concerns and injuries reportedly sustained during Israeli strikes. Three of his brothers were present at the ceremonies.

Iranian authorities mounted a major logistical operation to manage the enormous crowds, seeking to avoid a repeat of the chaos that marred the 1989 funeral of Ruhollah Khomeini, when crowd surges caused deaths and thousands of injuries.

More than 300 foreign journalists were granted visas to cover the funeral, a rare move by Iranian authorities aimed at showcasing what officials described as a display of national solidarity.

The Tehran procession will be followed by commemorative events in the religious city of Qom and in the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala before Khamenei is laid to rest in his hometown of Mashhad later this week.

While a ceasefire remains in place following the war with the United States and Israel, the funeral was dominated by calls for vengeance, reflecting the uncertainty that continues to surround the region despite the current pause in hostilities.