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In this photo released by Iran's Supreme Leader's office, Iran's top officials, including the brothers of Iran's new Supreme Leader, attend funeral prayers over the coffins of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran. (Photo: AP)Millions of Iranians have gathered for the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed along with four family members in a US-Israeli air strike earlier this year, as regional tensions remain high despite fragile diplomatic signals. Mourners waving red flags, a symbol of revenge, filled Tehran’s streets, chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”, while US President Donald Trump said both sides had agreed to hold fire during the funeral proceedings.
Funeral draws massive crowds amid anger: The two-day public farewell ceremony for Khamenei concluded with vast crowds expected to join a funeral procession in Tehran. State imagery showed mourners packing major thoroughfares, many carrying red banners signifying a call for retaliation. The killing of Khamenei has sharply escalated anti-US and anti-Israel sentiment across Iran.
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Leaders issue warnings: Even as Washington signalled restraint, Israel’s military leadership struck a harder tone. Addressing troops in southern Lebanon, Israel’s army chief warned of a “rapid attack” if Hezbollah violates the ceasefire, underscoring the volatility along Israel’s northern border.
Here are the latest developments:
- Millions attended funeral prayers in Tehran for Khamenei and the family members killed alongside him in the February 28 strike.
- Trump said talks with Iran would resume once the funeral proceedings conclude.
- Iranian authorities have prepared for possible mass-casualty incidents during the processions.
- Funeral ceremonies are set to continue in Iraq before Khamenei’s final burial in Mashhad.
- Mojtaba Khamenei, named Iran’s new Supreme Leader in March, has not appeared in public, reportedly for security reasons.
Follow The Indian Express Global Desk live coverage for the latest updates from West Asia, the diplomatic corridors of Europe, and the evolving legal battles in Washington.
Live Updates
Jul 7, 2026 05:32 AM IST
Fighting continues in Lebanon as further negotiations loom
The Israeli military carried out several strikes in Lebanon on Monday, according to reports in Lebanese state media.
The National News Agency (NNA) reported that five towns in southern Lebanon were targeted by Israeli shelling and other military activity Monday, including “a large explosion” in the town of Hadatha. NNA did not mention casualties from the spate of attacks.
Jul 7, 2026 05:20 AM IST
Israeli forces attack more homes in Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil
Israel has blown up several houses in the towns of Beit Yahoun and Haddatha in southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil district, the National News Agency reports.
Earlier, we reported that Israeli attacks had hit homes in Kunin and Baraachit in the same district.
Jul 7, 2026 05:07 AM IST
US oil reserves hit 40-year low
The US Department of Energy reported that US crude oil inventories in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell by 6.2 million barrels to 319.5 million barrels, the lowest level since April 1983.
This decrease comes as part of an agreement made by the US to withdraw 172 million barrels from the strategic reserve.
The drop in oil reserves is a lingering effect of the Strait of Hormuz’s closure during the war. The critical waterway handles one-fifth of global oil supply.
Jul 7, 2026 04:32 AM IST
Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman criticises German FM over Hormuz remarks
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has criticised comments by German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on the Strait of Hormuz, calling the rhetoric “utterly shameful” and “a grotesque distortion of reality that reeks of Mephistopheles in Goethe’s Faust”.
On Monday, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul had told Handelsblatt newspaper that “we do not need to offer Tehran anything at all; quite the contrary: Iran has unlawfully mined an international shipping lane”.
He added that while Germany does not intend to charge a fee for mine clearance at this stage, “it would be justified” for Iran to foot the bill “since we would be remedying damage caused by the regime”.
In a post on X, Baghaei said Germany “must be held fully accountable for its complicity in military aggression against Iran and bear the heavy costs of its active participation in the crime of aggression”.
The German Foreign Minister’s rhetoric on the Strait of Hormuz is utterly shameful — a grotesque distortion of reality that reeks of Mephistopheles in Goethe’s Faust.
— Esmaeil Baqaei (@IRIMFA_SPOX) July 6, 2026
Germany must be held fully accountable for its complicity in military aggression against Iran and bear the heavy… pic.twitter.com/pA1SUnyD4p
Jul 6, 2026 11:49 PM IST
Why are red flags flying at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral in Iran?
Funeral for Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began on Saturday as the administration shut down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran with thousands of mourners waived red and white flags at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque, where the body of Ali Khamenei is to lie for three days.
Red and white flags invoke historic martyrdom and revenge
Thousands of red and white flags at Khamenei’s funeral procession symbolise “martyrdom” and “revenge” in the Shia Muslim tradition, CNN reported.
Jul 6, 2026 08:37 PM IST
Iranian mourners call for vengeance on Trump during Khamenei funeral procession
Crowds of Iranians marched through the streets of Tehran on Monday in a funeral procession for slain leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the biggest day yet in a week of massive memorial ceremonies demonstrating the grip of surviving clerical leaders.
Drone footage on state television showed many tens of thousands of people crammed into a boulevard in central Tehran.
- Reuters
Jul 6, 2026 07:54 PM IST
Trump says there will either be a deal with Iran or US will 'finish the job'
US President Donald Trump on Monday said that the United States will either make a deal with Iran or "finish the job." He said Iran would rather make a deal.
Jul 6, 2026 06:51 PM IST
Bodies of Ali Khamenei and family members pass through Tehran amid call for noon prayer
The days-long funeral procession of the slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continued in Iran as bodies of Khamenei and his family members passed through the city.
In a post on X, Ali Khamenei's media account posted, "The call to the noon prayer echoes across Tehran as the funeral procession of the pure bodies of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution and his martyred family members passes through the city."
The final noon adhan in Tehran
— Khamenei Media (@Khamenei_m) July 6, 2026
The call to the noon prayer echoes across Tehran as the funeral procession of the pure bodies of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution and his martyred family members passes through the city.
July 6, 2026#wemustrise#martyrkhamenei pic.twitter.com/omEextxYsz
Jul 6, 2026 06:19 PM IST
Iran's top negotiator Ghalibaf says implementing US agreement is 'difficult, but achievable'
Iran's parliament speaker and top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, on Monday said implementing the ceasefire agreement signed with the United States is “difficult, but achievable.”
"When necessary, that support comes in the form of missiles; when political pressure is needed, that pressure is applied through negotiations," Iran's state-linked IRIB reported.
Jul 6, 2026 05:00 PM IST
Israeli strike in southern Lebanon kills four: Report
Four people have been killed in an Israeli strike on Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon's National News Agency, as quoted by Al Jazeera.
Jul 6, 2026 04:23 PM IST
Funeral procession of late Khamenei
Large crowds gathered in the Iranian capital for the funeral of late Khamenei, with many participants chanting anti-US slogans during the procession.
A sea of mourners fills Tehran's Islamic Revolution Street as millions gather to bid farewell to the Martyred Supreme Leader, Imam Khamenei, and the members of his family in a solemn funeral procession.#iran #tehran #khamenei #wemustrise #_ pic.twitter.com/TVewxzge4t
— Iran in Mumbai (@IRANinMumbai) July 6, 2026
Jul 6, 2026 04:08 PM IST
Mojtaba absent as family pays final tribute to Khamenei
Three of the late Iranian leader's sons attended the funeral prayers, while successor Mojtaba Khamenei was absent.
Three sons of slain Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prayed beside his coffin and those of four other family members. But Mojtaba, the son who succeeded him as Iran's supreme leader, did not make an appearance https://t.co/GWP8zBOY4i pic.twitter.com/LlMBBhs2A6
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 6, 2026
Jul 6, 2026 03:47 PM IST
Thousands gather in Tehran for funeral of Iran's late supreme leader
Mourners dressed in black flooded the streets of Tehran on Monday for the funeral procession of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Large crowds gathered in the Iranian capital, with many participants chanting anti-US slogans during the procession. According to AP reports, the turnout appeared larger than the funeral procession held in 2020 for Qassem Soleimani, which drew more than one million mourners. Authorities have not released an official estimate of the crowd size.
(AP)
Jul 6, 2026 02:19 PM IST
Israeli Defense Minister vows future Iranian leaders will face 'same fate' as Khamenei
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed that any future Iranian leader who made any attempts to harm his country would meet the same fate as Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
His remarks came as Khamenei's makes its way through Tehran.
Katz said that Khamenei “was assassinated by Israel because he set in motion and led the plan to destroy Israel.”
“The assassin was assassinated,” he said. “Any Iranian leader who tries to push plans to destroy Israel again will also be thwarted.”
Jul 6, 2026 01:33 PM IST
Crowds of mourners sprayed with water to tackle heat
The crowds of mourners in Tehran are being sprayed with water to tackle the scorching heat, as temperatures in the Iranian capital soar.
Jul 6, 2026 01:00 PM IST
Massive crowds gather along Tehran's Azadi Street
Massive crowds gathered along Tehran's Azadi Street for to bid farewell to the late supreme leader, with pictures capturing the immense scale of the mourning public as they paid their respects.
Jul 6, 2026 12:39 PM IST
‘We are here for revenge’: Mourners vow vengeance at Khamenei’s funeral procession
As the funeral procession of Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei drew large crowds in Tehran, some Iranians called for revenge.
The truck carrying the coffins of Khamenei and his family, killed in an airstrike at the beginning of the war launched by Israel and the United States, on Feb 28, will be taken through the streets of Tehran to Mehrabad International Airport.
Some black-clad mourners were seen carrying signs calling for US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be killed, according to news agency AP.
“Today that we are here for the funeral for our leader, it’s a very tough day,” mourner Fatima Hassan said. “We are not here to say goodbye to him, we are here for revenge. And we will take revenge.”
Jul 6, 2026 12:09 PM IST
Vehicle carrying Khamenei’s coffin ‘enters funeral procession route’
📹 هماکنون؛ ورود خودروی حامل پیکر مطهر رهبر شهید انقلاب و شهدای خانواده ایشان به مسیر تشییع تهران در میان خیل جمعیت مردم عزادار#___ pic.twitter.com/3ieSF7eHi1
— خبرگزاری تسنیم (@Tasnimnews_Fa) July 6, 2026
The Tasnim News Agency is reporting that the vehicle carrying the coffins of the late supreme leader and members of his family has now entered the “funeral procession route amid a throng of grieving people”.
Jul 6, 2026 12:01 PM IST
Israeli forces ‘trigger explosion’ in southern Lebanon
Lebanon’s National News Agency says Israeli forces have “triggered an explosion” overnight in the town of Hula, in the Marjayoun district.
Jul 6, 2026 11:02 AM IST
‘Millions’ attending Khamenei’s funeral procession, state media say
The Tasnim news agency and the broadcaster Press TV are reporting that millions of mourners are on the streets of Tehran for the late supreme leader’s funeral proceedings.
According to Press TV, officials have described the event as the “largest public gathering in the country’s modern history”.
Jul 6, 2026 10:02 AM IST
Funeral procession for Khamenei gets under way
According to the IRIB broadcaster, the procession has now begun.
“The funeral procession for the revered body of the martyred Imam and leader began a few moments ago in the capital,” IRIB said in a post on Telegram, adding that it was attended by a “massive crowd” of mourners.
Khamenei was killed on the first day of the US-Israel war on Iran on February 28.
Jul 6, 2026 09:48 AM IST
Mourners in Tehran carry banners calling for Trump’s death
Images from Khamenei’s funeral procession in Tehran show mourners carrying a banner with the words “Kill Trump”. The banner also shows a bullet running through the word Trump.
Other mourners also carried placards with images of US Vice President JD Vance, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with the words, “There will be blood”.
Jul 6, 2026 09:18 AM IST
Funeral procession to last 10-12 hours
Iran’s Press TV reports that the procession will begin from Tehran’s Grand Mosalla mosque, where Khamenei’s body has been lying in state for two days.
“Organisers expect the procession to last 10 to 12 hours, winding along a 10-kilometre [6.2-mile] route through Damavand Street, Imam Hussein Square, Enqelab Street, Enqelab Square, Azadi Street, Azadi Square, and Shahid Lashgari Highway, located near the Mehrabad airport,” it said.
The Tasnim news agency reported moments ago that the vehicle carrying Khamenei’s body was now “ready to enter the funeral procession route”.
Jul 6, 2026 09:09 AM IST
Saudi and Bahraini FMs discuss US-Iran talks during Riyadh meeting
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has met his Bahraini counterpart in Riyadh and “discussed the latest regional developments, including the US-Iran negotiation path”, according to a statement from his office.
Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud and Bahrain’s Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani also discussed “the ongoing efforts of both countries to enhance security and stability”, the statement said.
They “reaffirmed the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation” in the Strait of Hormuz, it added.
#riyadh | Foreign Minister HH Prince @FaisalbinFarhan received Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani. pic.twitter.com/R746bZoXpv
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) July 5, 2026
Jul 6, 2026 08:52 AM IST
Photos: Iran Khamenei funeral
Jul 6, 2026 08:40 AM IST
Iran’s Ghalibaf calls MoU an ‘achievement for the axis of resistance’
Iran’s Parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has met the vice chairman of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mohammed Al-Nuaimi, and hailed the MoU signed with the US as an achievement for Tehran’s “axis of resistance”.
“The United States and Israel were forced to practically recognise Iran’s allies in the axis of resistance, and this is one of the achievements of this memorandum,” Ghalibaf said, according to Iranian media.
Iran’s regional network of armed groups, known as the “axis of resistance”, includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza, and armed groups in Iraq.
Jul 6, 2026 08:32 AM IST
What we know so far
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