4 min readJul 4, 2026 12:58 AM IST
First published on: Jul 3, 2026 at 09:29 PM IST
Thousands of mourners, senior clerics and foreign dignitaries gathered in Tehran on Friday as Iran began a week-long state funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, months after the country’s longtime Supreme Leader was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes.
The ceremonies, stretching across Iran and Iraq, are being presented by Tehran as a show of national unity after the end of Khamenei’s 37-year rule and come just days after an interim US-Iran truce created conditions for the funeral to go ahead.
The funeral ceremonies mark the beginning of a week-long series of processions across Iran and Iraq, organised by Iranian authorities following the end of Khamenei’s 37-year rule. Officials have presented the events as a display of public support for the Islamic Republic and its revolutionary ideals, news agency Reuters reported.
Coffin placed in state as mourners gather
Late on Thursday, Khamenei’s coffin was unveiled before a large crowd of grieving supporters who chanted, wept and beat their heads in rhythm with mourning hymns while flowers were thrown toward the bier, the Reuters report said.
On Friday, the coffin, along with those of family members killed in the same strike, was placed in state inside the grand prayer hall built in honour of his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
A view of a coffin with a portrait of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during his funeral ceremony, in Tehran on Friday. (Reuters)
Reuters reported that the coffins were carried into the hall before being placed on a white stepped platform beneath a large tiled arch. National flags and black mourning banners flanked the dais.
A black turban, traditionally worn by clerics claiming descent from the Prophet Mohammed, rested atop Khamenei’s coffin alongside a folded chequered scarf, a symbol in Iran associated with revolutionary ideals and solidarity with Palestinians.
Foreign leaders attend funeral ceremony amid tight security
According to the report, security remained tight across Tehran, with military and police vehicles deployed along major roads while police personnel and members of the Basij volunteer force patrolled the streets on motorcycles. Iranian authorities also warned the United States and Israel against carrying out any attacks during the funeral period.
A man rides a bicycle past a portrait of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ahead of his dayslong funeral ceremonies in Tehran, Iran, on Friday. (AP Photo)
Several foreign leaders and senior officials attended Friday’s ceremony, including former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Chinese National People’s Congress deputy head He Wei, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Iraqi President Nizar Amedi.
Family members of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and senior commander Imad Mughniyeh, close Lebanese allies of Iran killed in Israeli strikes, were also present.
Iranian political leaders, including the president, parliament speaker and foreign minister, attended the ceremony, offering prayers beside the coffin. A group of military commanders, including newly appointed Revolutionary Guards chief Ahmad Vahidi, also paid tribute.
Burial delayed until after truce
Khamenei’s funeral was postponed because of security concerns during the war. The ceremonies were scheduled only after last month’s interim truce agreement between Iran and the US.
To accommodate mourners, hotels have offered 50 per cent discounts, while schools, mosques and sports halls have been prepared as temporary lodging facilities, the Reuters report said. Bus and railway services have also been adjusted to support travel to the funeral events, it added.
A portrait of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hangs at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque as preparations are underway ahead of his dayslong funeral ceremonies in Tehran, Iran, on Friday (AP Photo)
Following a major procession in central Tehran on Monday, Khamenei’s remains will be taken to Qom for ceremonies on Tuesday. On Wednesday, further memorial events will be held in the Iraqi shrine cities of Najaf and Kerbala, with members of Iran’s regional Shi’ite allies expected to attend.
Khamenei will be buried on Thursday in Mashhad, near the shrine of Imam Reza, after the final funeral procession.
Mourners gather around the coffin of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as it lies in a mourning hall adjacent to the Imam Khomeini Hussainiya, in Tehran, Iran, late Thursday. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP) 
A view of a coffin with a portrait of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during his funeral ceremony, in Tehran on Friday. (Reuters)
A man rides a bicycle past a portrait of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ahead of his dayslong funeral ceremonies in Tehran, Iran, on Friday. (AP Photo)
A portrait of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hangs at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque as preparations are underway ahead of his dayslong funeral ceremonies in Tehran, Iran, on Friday (AP Photo)
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