Popular funeral ceremony for Khamenei in Iran more than four months after his killing

Published 4 July 2026

Reading time: 5 minutes

The funeral ceremony for the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, began on Saturday in Tehran, with thousands of Iranians participating, more than four months after he was killed on the first day of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

The flow of participants, most of whom wore black, began at dawn before the official national funeral ceremony started around 6 a.m. local time at the Grand Prayer Hall in the capital Tehran.

Khamenei's coffin was laid out with his black turban on top, and beside it were coffins of four of his family members who were killed with him on February 28 at the start of the war.

Footage showed thousands of participants raising their fists in the air to the chants of 'Death to America, death to Israel.' Others carried banners with the word 'Revenge' in Persian and English, along with pictures of the late Supreme Leader and Iranian flags, and red banners that read 'The Martyr.' Some also chanted for revenge.

Most participants, of various ages, were dressed in black. Some sat on the ground crying or appeared emotional, while Quran recitations, prayers, and religious hymns resonated throughout the area.

The ceremony will last six days and will include stops in Iraq before the body is laid to rest in the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran. Authorities said they expect between 15 and 20 million people to participate in the ceremonies in Tehran alone.

The funeral comes at a pivotal time for the leadership of the Islamic Republic, which seeks to project an image of cohesion and strength of its popular base after severe challenges including the twelve-day war with Israel in June 2025, popular protests in early 2026, and then the US-Israeli war that is currently under a ceasefire.

Why is the date of Ali Khamenei's funeral announced now?

Video commentary, including Qatar and Oman... official delegations offer condolences and take a last look at Khamenei's body

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X: 'As Iran, rich with epics, prepares for the funeral of the man of Islam and the revolution, I invite all people of different ethnicities, religions, and political orientations to draw a strong picture of national unity and loyalty to the lofty principles of the Islamic system through their strong and effective presence in this historic event.'

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Khamenei's body, aged 83 at his death, was placed in a green coffin bearing the Iranian flag on the front and inscribed with 'Peace be upon you, O Aba Abdullah,' and his black turban was placed on the coffin at the Grand Prayer Hall in the capital, with three other coffins of the same style in front of it, and then a small child's coffin.

Khamenei travels by air

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Khamenei's body's journey lasts several days, starting Friday from the Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall in northern Tehran, where it will remain until Monday, then it will be taken out in a popular funeral to tour the capital's streets, and from there it will move to the holy city of Qom south of Tehran, before moving to Iraq to visit the shrines of Imam Ali and Imam Hussein on July 8.

On Sunday, the funeral prayer for Khamenei and members of his family will be held, and the public farewell ceremonies will continue afterwards.

The main funeral ceremony will be on Monday, July 6, from 6 a.m. local time, and the funeral procession will cover a distance of 10 kilometers from Imam Hussein Square to Azadi Square.

The body will arrive in the holy city of Qom, 150 kilometers south of Tehran, on Tuesday, July 7, to be placed in Jamkaran Mosque south of Tehran. A funeral procession and mourning are likely to be held there as well.

On Wednesday, July 8, the body will leave Iran for the Iraqi city of Najaf, where an official reception ceremony will be held attended by the Iraqi Prime Minister, senior government officials, and religious leaders, after which the mourning procession will move to the Imam Ali shrine.

Then a helicopter will transfer the body to the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala, about 80 kilometers away, before it is flown back to Iran.

The conclusion will be on Thursday, July 9, when Khamenei will be buried at the Imam Reza shrine in the city of Mashhad, one of the holiest cities for Shia Muslims, and the city where he was born.

Video commentary: Iran begins popular and official ceremonies for Khamenei's funeral amid calls for revenge

Mojtaba's absence

The new Supreme Leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, only attended his father's funeral ceremony in picture form. A large picture of him was placed in the main hall of the Imam Khomeini Prayer Hall in northern Tehran, next to a picture of his father and a picture of Imam Khomeini, as crowds gathered to bid farewell to the body.

But so far, the new leader of the Islamic Republic has not appeared in person at any funeral ceremonies or activities, nor has he appeared in any recent video or photo since the killing of his father and wife on the first day of the war on February 28, 2026, which has sparked many speculations and questions about his fate, health condition, and the extent of his injuries when his father's house was bombed.

Official holiday

Several Iraqi provinces have announced an official holiday next Wednesday to allow citizens to participate in Khamenei's funeral ceremonies in Najaf and Karbala.

The office of Baghdad Governor Atwan al-Atwani announced the suspension of official work in the Baghdad Governorate Office and all its affiliated departments on Wednesday, July 8, according to a statement carried by the Iraqi News Agency.

Similarly, the Dhi Qar Provincial Council announced the suspension of official work on Wednesday, except for the Dhi Qar Health Department and its affiliated health institutions.

This was also announced by the provinces of Najaf and Wasit, to allow citizens to participate in Khamenei's funeral.

While Basra Province announced the suspension of official work on Wednesday and Thursday next week.

The official spokesman of the media committee for Khamenei's funeral in Iraq, Lieutenant General Saad Maan, announced that Tuesday, July 7, 'will witness an official reception ceremony for the funeral of the martyr Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (may his soul rest in peace) with the presence of high-level government and religious figures from Iran and Iraq.'

He explained that 'there will be a popular and mass funeral, starting on Wednesday, July 8, at 6 a.m.'

He confirmed that 'a comprehensive security plan has been developed with the participation of various ministries, institutions, security and service agencies to provide the necessary services for the participants in the funeral,' calling on 'citizens, religious bodies, Husseini processions, and participating delegations to fully comply with the organizational and security instructions and guidelines that will be issued successively by the competent authorities and to cooperate with the security forces and service teams to ensure the success of this occasion.'

Presidential representation and condolences from Guterres