Millions of mourners poured into the streets of Tehran on Monday as Iran began the funeral procession for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a powerful display of national mourning and defiance following weeks of war with the United States and Israel.
Although authorities have yet to release an official attendance figure, state media said the turnout could rival the estimated 10 million people who attended the 1989 funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic.
AFP images showed vast crowds stretching along Tehran’s major boulevards as Khamenei’s flower-covered coffin began its journey through the capital after lying in state for two days at the Grand Mosalla religious complex.
The ceremonies are widely viewed as an opportunity for Iran’s leadership to project unity and resilience after five weeks of conflict. However, public attention remains focused on Khamenei’s successor, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since assuming the country’s highest office.
Authorities are determined to avoid a repeat of the chaos that overshadowed Khomeini’s funeral, when crowd surges reportedly killed more than 10 people and injured over 10,000 others.
“If I compare this ceremony with that one, I can say there is no difference. But the crowd this time seems even more enthusiastic,” said Gholamreza Khanbabaei, 58, who joined the procession.
Tehran’s airspace remained closed throughout Monday as the country observed a national day of mourning.
Mourners waved Iranian flags, Hezbollah banners and red flags symbolising revenge, while state media reported that some participants gathered at Imam Hussein Square and hanged an effigy of US President Donald Trump.
Former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was also seen attending the procession, according to local media.
With temperatures soaring, trucks sprayed water over mourners to ease the heat, while volunteers distributed Iranian flags and portraits of both Ali and Mojtaba Khamenei.
The funeral procession spans approximately 20 kilometres across the Iranian capital.
Mojtaba Still Absent
Thousands had already gathered on Sunday at the Grand Mosalla to pay their respects to Khamenei and four members of his family who were killed in the Israeli airstrikes, reportedly carried out using US intelligence.
Large concrete barriers separated mourners from the coffins to reduce the risk of stampedes.
Monday’s procession will be followed by ceremonies in the clerical city of Qom on Tuesday, Iraq’s holy cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday, before Khamenei is laid to rest in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday.
Although three of Khamenei’s sons made a rare public appearance during Sunday’s ceremonies, Mojtaba Khamenei was notably absent.
Officials have said the new supreme leader was wounded in the strike that killed his father, but have not disclosed the extent of his injuries.
Iran’s newly appointed commander of the Revolutionary Guards, Ahmad Vahidi, whose predecessor was killed in the February 28 attack, also appeared publicly for a second time since the war began. Esmail Qaani, commander of the elite Quds Force, likewise made a rare public appearance.
Calls For Revenge
The government hopes the massive turnout will reinforce public support for the Islamic Republic after widespread anti-government protests earlier this year, which rights groups say were crushed in a deadly security crackdown.
Although fighting has paused under a ceasefire and preliminary agreement with the United States, both Tehran and Washington have warned they are prepared to resume military action if necessary.
Calls for retaliation echoed throughout Monday’s procession.
Khamenei had long pursued a confrontational policy toward the West, while Iran has continued to back regional armed groups, including Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, both of which sent delegations to the funeral.
“We want revenge. It must happen,” Khanbabaei said. “If it doesn’t, things will only get worse.”
