Funeral ceremonies for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei have reportedly begun in the capital, Tehran, according to Iranian state television, in events described as a large-scale public display of support for the Islamic Republic.
State media said authorities expect between 15 and 20 million people to participate in Tehran over a three-day period of mourning for Khamenei, who is reported to have led the country for more than three decades before his death at the age of 86.
The ceremonies are said to form part of a six-day national mourning programme, with officials presenting the events as a demonstration of unity and resilience in the face of external pressure.
However, independent verification of the reported death and circumstances surrounding it has not been possible, and details remain based on official Iranian statements and state media reporting.
Crowds gathered at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla religious complex, with mourners reportedly carrying red banners symbolising vengeance and chanting slogans including “death to America” and calls for retaliation, according to eyewitness accounts cited by AFP.
Some attendees told reporters they had travelled long distances to pay their respects, describing the occasion as a final farewell to the long-serving leader.
“We came because we promised the supreme leader we would stand by him to the very end,” one mourner was quoted as saying, while another said he regretted never having seen him in person.
Heavy security measures have been introduced across Tehran, with road closures and preparations for possible airspace restrictions as authorities manage what is expected to be one of the largest public gatherings in the country since the 1989 funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The reported funeral itinerary includes a period of lying in state in Tehran before the procession moves to the holy city of Qom, and subsequently to other religious centres in Iraq before burial in Mashhad, Khamenei’s reported home city.
Senior Iranian officials have also been attending the ceremonies. Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf was seen in tears, while other figures, including members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leadership, were reported to have paid their respects.
International attendance was also reported, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev among those said to have been present, alongside representatives from Hamas, Hezbollah and the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
The events come against the backdrop of heightened regional tensions following recent conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel, though officials say a fragile ceasefire remains in place.
Despite the scale of the ceremonies, Iranian authorities are also reported to be focused on preventing overcrowding and ensuring public safety, particularly given extreme heat conditions in Tehran, where temperatures are expected to exceed 35°C.
