Thousands gathered at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla for the funeral arrangements of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the late Supreme Leader who was assassinated during the initial US-Israel missile strikes on Iran on February 28. The official funeral processions marked a week of national mourning, reflecting the country’s deep loyalty to the Islamic Republic and its revolutionary ideals following the 37-year rule that ended with the first airstrike of the ongoing conflict.
Khamenei’s body was slated to travel through Qom, Najaf, and Kerbala before being buried on Thursday in Mashhad, home to Iran’s most revered pilgrimage site. On Friday, coffins bearing his remains, along with those of his family members—including a young granddaughter—covered in Iranian flags, were displayed on stage. Supporters, overcome with grief, gathered in tears, beating their chests in mourning to pay final respects.
Several international leaders were present, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, He Wei from China’s National People’s Congress, and Iraqi President Nizar Amedi. They stood among the throngs—some visibly emotional, others paying silent tribute—honoring the late leader.
Images captured the somber scene: mourners reacting profoundly as they participated in the farewell, water being sprayed over the crowd, and the body of Iran’s Supreme Leader arriving at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla. Mourners carried the coffin of Zahra Haddad Adel, wife of the late Supreme Leader’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, during her funeral in Tehran on July 2. Other notable figures, such as members of the Assembly of Experts, Iran’s Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei, parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf, and political advisers, gathered to pay their respects on July 3.
The memorial services reflected the nation’s deep reverence for Khamenei, with flowers, tears, and prayers filling the air as Iran mourned the loss of its leader, who played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s political and religious landscape.