West Asia war LIVE: Huge crowds expected as Khamenei funeral ceremonies open

Iranian religious leaders and other mourners pay their respects before the coffins of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family during a viewing ceremony ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Friday, July 3, 2026.

| Photo Credit:

AP

Iranian authorities say they anticipate between 15 and 20 million participants in Tehran alone over the next three days for tributes to the man who ran the country for three-and-a-half decades.

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Six days of funeral ceremonies are planned to commemorate Ali Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic republic as its number one from 1989 until his killing aged 86 on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran on February 28.

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The events will be scrutinised in particular for any signs of Khamenei’s son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei, who was named Supreme Leader a week after the killing of his father but is yet to appear in public.

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July 04, 2026 07:17

Huge crowds expected as Khamenei funeral ceremonies open

Huge crowds of Iranians were expected to pay their final respects to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the start of marathon funeral ceremonies intended to serve as a show of strength to the Islamic Republic’s foes.

Iranian authorities say they anticipate between 15 and 20 million participants in Tehran alone over the next three days for tributes to the man who ran the country for three-and-a-half decades.

Six days of funeral ceremonies are planned to commemorate Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic republic as its number one from 1989 until his killing aged 86 on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran on February 28.

AFP

Published - July 04, 2026 07:17 am IST