In brief
Tens of thousands of Iranian citizens converged on a 10‑kilometre route in Tehran to witness the funeral procession of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed during an Israeli strike. The coffin was transported by a black lorry through central squares, drawing waves of flags and banners that echoed calls for vengeance against the United States. While three of Khamenei's sons attended, his successor Mojtaba was absent after suffering serious injuries from the strike. The ceremony follows a preliminary cease‑fire agreement with the US, signalling shifts in Iran’s political and diplomatic landscapes. Key Iranian figures, including former President Ahmadinejad and current President Masoud Pezeshkian, appeared among mourners, underscoring a rare unity as the funeral will continue across major Shia cities before burial in Mashhad.
Massive crowds lined Tehran’s streets to watch the funeral procession of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
A heavily‑flagged coffin was carried by a black lorry along a ten‑kilometre route that passed through key squares such as Enghelab, Alexander and Azadi.
While three of Khamenei’s sons stood beside the coffin, the heir Mojtaba was absent after being wounded in the same Israeli air strike that killed his father and wife.
Crowds waved Iranian flags and red banners, and slogans like “We must rise” and calls for the death of US President Donald Trump were seen throughout the procession.
The ceremony comes less than three weeks after Iran and the US signed a preliminary agreement to end the conflict, reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz and setting a deadline for a final deal on nuclear programmes and sanctions.
Former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and current President Masoud Pezeshkian were also spotted among the mourners, signalling a brief moment of unity across Iran’s political spectrum.
After Tehran, the procession will visit the religious cities of Qom, Karbala and Najaf before Khamenei’s arrival at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, where he will be buried.
