Mourners gather at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mosalla prayer grounds ahead of the start of funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, July 4. Photo: @Tasnimnews_fa/X
Iran is preparing to begin six days of funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with thousands of mourners gathering at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla prayer grounds ahead of the first public farewell ceremony on Saturday, July 4. Millions are expected to attend the state funeral before Khamenei is laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad on July 9.
On Friday, July 3, senior Iranian officials, military commanders and foreign delegations paid their final respects to Khamenei as his body lay in state in Tehran. Leaders and representatives from several countries attended the farewell ceremony ahead of the public funeral, while thousands of mourners gathered to honour the late leader
Khamenei, along with members of his family, was killed in a joint US-Israeli attack on February 28, triggering weeks of conflict and heightened tensions across the Middle East.
8:23 am IST: Thousands of mourners have begun arriving at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla prayer grounds ahead of the first public funeral ceremony for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tasnim News Agency reported.
Authorities have opened the eastern and northern gates of the venue, with the eastern courtyard designated for women and the western side reserved for men. Security personnel are directing the growing crowds as people continue to enter the complex.
This post was last modified on July 4, 2026 8:23 am