Khamenei Funeral Procession Begins in Tehran

A 12 hour funeral procession for Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has begun its journey through the capital, with thousands of mourners gathering in the streets waving flags and holding pictures of the late ayatollah.

Khamenei, who ruled Iran for more than 35 years, was killed in US-Israeli air strikes in February. His funeral ceremonies, which began on Friday, are planned to continue over the coming week with events in Tehran, Qom, and the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. Iranian authorities say millions are expected to attend what they have called the “funeral of the century”.

The burial is scheduled for Thursday in the north-eastern city of Mashhad. Vast crowds loyal to the Islamic Republic have gathered in Tehran over recent days, with foreign media like the BBC reporting emotion and politics merging in the capital.

A vehicle carrying the coffins of Khamenei and several family members killed alongside him has been seen making its way through the mourners. The procession route runs across Tehran, with authorities warning of the risk of crowd crushes and imposing strict security measures. The airspace over the capital has been closed.

Iran’s new leadership under Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has so far been largely absent from public view during the ceremonies, with speculation continuing about his condition following the initial strikes. Three of his brothers – Mostafa, Meysam and Masoud Khamenei, were seen praying beside the coffins.

The fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran is holding while talks on a permanent peace deal continue. US President Donald Trump has said talks were paused for events surrounding the funeral.

The ceremonies have drawn a range of foreign delegations, though no major world leaders from global powers are attending. Iranian officials have warned against any miscalculation by adversaries during the mourning period.