TEHRAN — Tens of thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran on Monday as the funeral procession for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began, marking the central public ceremony in a week of state-organized mourning following his death earlier this year.
State television broadcast live images of large crowds lining the procession route as Khamenei's flag-draped coffin, accompanied by the coffins of four members of his family, was carried through the capital on a ceremonial vehicle. Authorities closed major roads and imposed extensive security measures, including airspace restrictions, as they prepared for one of the country's largest public gatherings in decades.
The funeral procession comes months after Khamenei was killed during the opening phase of the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States, according to Iranian authorities and multiple media reports. The ceremonies are being used by Iran's leadership to demonstrate national unity following the war and the subsequent political transition.
Crowds dressed largely in black filled central Tehran, carrying Iranian flags, portraits of Khamenei and banners condemning the United States and Israel. State media showed mourners chanting religious slogans and calls for retaliation over Khamenei's killing, while some demonstrators burned U.S. and British flags and displayed placards directed at U.S. President Donald Trump.
Iranian officials have said the ceremonies are expected to continue through several cities before Khamenei is buried in Mashhad, his birthplace in northeastern Iran. The procession is also scheduled to include visits to major Shi'ite religious sites in Iran and neighboring Iraq as part of the official mourning program.
Attention has also focused on Khamenei's successor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly during the funeral ceremonies. Iranian media have reported that he was injured in the same attack that killed his father, although authorities have provided few details about his condition.
Iranian authorities have urged the public to follow security instructions during the ceremonies and said emergency services had been deployed across the capital to manage the large crowds. Officials said the funeral events will continue in the coming days before the final burial in Mashhad, where state ceremonies are expected to conclude.
