Thousands of mourners dressed in black gathered in Tehran on Monday, July 6, 2026, to pay their respects to Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The funeral procession included Khamenei's flag-draped coffin alongside those of members of his family who were killed in an airstrike on February 28, an attack attributed to Israel and the United States at the start of the war that claimed the 86-year-old cleric's life.

Helicopter footage broadcast on Iranian state television showed a massive crowd stretching for kilometers from Tehran's Azadi (Freedom) Square down Azadi Street. The turnout appeared larger than the 2020 procession for the late Revolutionary Guard General, signaling a show of strength by Iran's theocracy as it negotiates with the US over a permanent end to the conflict.

The coffins are scheduled for a 12-hour journey through Tehran to Mehrabad International Airport, according to a Revolutionary Guard General.

Mourners expressed deep sorrow and resolve. Fatima Hassan said, "Today that we are here for the funeral for our leader, it's a very tough day." Maryam Alizadeh, weeping, remarked, "This is the last time I am seeing him."

Others voiced determination to continue Khamenei's path. Sahar Zaraatgar stated, "We are here to show that his path will continue, and every single one of these people will continue down his path with clenched fists and soon we will certainly avenge his death against the US and Israel." Another mourner declared, "We are not here to say goodbye to him, we are here for revenge. And we will take revenge."

The funeral procession and public mourning underscore the ongoing tensions between Iran, the US, and Israel amid efforts to resolve the war that led to Khamenei's death.

Sources