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Six-day funeral ceremonies transform the Iranian capital into a security fortress and gather leaders from dozens of countries amid ongoing diplomatic negotiations between Tehran and Washington
The state funeral of Iran’s former supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, began this Saturday (4th) in Tehran, under heavy security and marked by demonstrations of hostility against the United States, Israel, and American President Donald Trump. According to information released by Gazeta do Povo, thousands of people crowded the Grand Mosalla religious complex, where the ayatollah’s coffin was placed in a funeral chamber, four months after his death in bombings carried out by Israel and the United States on February 28, 2026.
In this regard, Iranian authorities estimate massive participation, projecting between 15 and 20 million people in the capital alone — a number that, if confirmed, would make these the largest funeral tributes ever recorded in the country’s history. The event, which spans six days, is seen by analysts as a show of strength amid diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Iran, as a framework agreement to end the conflict had been signed the previous month.
Red flags, cries for revenge, and posters against Trump
Dressed mostly in black, participants began arriving at the Grand Mosalla even before dawn this Saturday, even before Iranian state television announced, around 6 a.m. local time, the official start of the rites. Many carried red Shiite flags with the inscription “Martyr” — a symbol of martyrdom and revenge in Shiite tradition — while chanting slogans such as “Revenge!”, “Death to the United States” and “Death to Israel”. According to a journalist from the AFP agency, red posters with messages calling for Trump’s death were also displayed, coinciding with the day the United States celebrated the 250th anniversary of its independence.
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On the other hand, the atmosphere of emotion also marked the early hours of the ceremony: many participants wept while waiting to enter the religious complex, to the sound of recited poems and religious chants. Beside Khamenei’s coffin, covered by his traditional black turban, were also the coffins of family members killed in the same February attack — including a daughter, a son-in-law, a daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter of only 14 months, according to Iranian authorities. To support the crowd, more than 400 tents of the Iranian Red Crescent were set up in a large city park.
A capital transformed into a fortress and the absence of the successor
Meanwhile, Tehran was turned into a true fortress to facilitate the funeral: streets were blocked, airspace was closed, and businesses suspended their activities. Since early Friday morning, a procession of international leaders paraded before the coffins to pay their respects, including the prime ministers of Pakistan and Armenia, the presidents of Iraq, Tajikistan, and Georgia, as well as representatives from Russia, China, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Morocco, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Nicaragua, and Cuba. Family members of Hassan Nasrallah, the former Hezbollah leader killed in an Israeli attack, were also present, along with delegations from Hamas and Hezbollah itself, who met with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, during their stay in Tehran.
However, one absence drew attention: Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the ayatollah and current supreme leader of Iran since March, did not have his participation confirmed in the ceremonies. According to reports, he was injured in the same attack that killed his father and has not appeared publicly since, limiting himself to issuing written messages. Meanwhile, General Ahmad Vahidi, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, made his first public appearance since the beginning of the war, after taking office in March when his predecessor died in the same bombings in February.
The body of Ali Khamenei will remain on public display until this Monday (6), when a procession through the streets of Tehran will begin. Subsequently, the cortege will proceed to the holy city of Qom and then travel through other Iranian cities and important Shia religious centers in Iraq, such as Najaf and Karbala. The burial is scheduled for July 9, in Mashhad, Khamenei’s hometown, in northeastern Iran. Ali Khamenei governed the country for 37 years, a period marked by increasing international isolation, economic sanctions, internal protests, and successive political crises, while tensions with the United States and Israel deepened over the decades.
