Funeral prayers were held in Tehran on Sunday for the body of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, on the second day of his funeral rites attended by large crowds, in the absence of his son, the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared since succeeding his father.

The prayers on Sunday were led by Jafar Sobhani, 97.

In the front row near the coffin were several senior Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker and chief nuclear negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, and General Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, according to AFP.

Three sons of the late supreme leader—Masoud, Mostafa, and Meisam—also took part in the prayers, as shown in footage broadcast by state television.

Commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ahmad Vahidi attends funeral prayer for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (EPA)

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, was wounded in the attack that killed his father on February 28, and only written statements attributed to him have been released since.

Flags symbolizing revenge... millions expected to attend

The prayer site and surrounding streets were packed with crowds, with Iranian flags and red flags symbolizing revenge raised among the masses, some participants holding pictures of Khamenei. Refreshments were distributed along the route, as temperatures were again expected to exceed 35 degrees Celsius during the day.

The body is to remain on display until Sunday evening, before preparations for the funeral procession scheduled for Monday in the capital's streets.

A scene from the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his family members in Tehran (AP)

Authorities have declared Sunday and Monday public holidays, saying they expect between 15 million and 20 million people in Tehran alone.

After Monday's procession in Tehran, the coffin is to stop in several cities in Iran and Iraq, with burial scheduled for Thursday in the northeastern city of Mashhad, Khamenei's birthplace.

Political presence

Alongside the public crowds, a large number of Iranian and foreign officials paid tribute to Khamenei's coffin on Friday. Among the foreign delegations were also two delegations from Lebanon's Hezbollah and the Hamas movement.

Ali Khamenei's funeral was originally scheduled for March but was postponed due to war. The funeral comes at a critical juncture for Iran's leadership, which seeks to project an image of cohesion and popular support after harsh challenges including the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025, popular protests in early 2026, and the US-Israeli war currently under a ceasefire.

To accommodate Iranians arriving from across the country, more than 400 tents of the Iranian Red Crescent have been set up in a major park in the capital, according to AFP correspondents.

Khamenei's coffin, with his black turban placed on it, was laid out alongside the coffins of four family members killed with him on February 28, when the war began.