Funeral procession for Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei under way

In PicturesSaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkMourners gather in Tehran's Revolution Square for the funeral procession of slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei [Altaf Qadri/AP Photo]By AFP and APPublished On 6 Jul 20266 Jul 2026The funeral procession for late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has begun in Tehran as authorities prepare for crowds that could rival those that turned out for his predecessor nearly four decades ago.After lying in state for two days at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla religious complex, the body of Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the United States-Israel war on Iran, began its journey on Monday through the capital, accompanied by large crowds of mourners, state broadcaster IRIB reported.Authorities are hoping to avoid a repeat of the chaos that marred the 1989 funeral of Khamenei’s predecessor, Ruhollah Khomeini, which drew an estimated 10 million people, according to the state news agency IRNA.Crowd surges during Khomeini’s funeral killed more than 10 people and injured over 10,000.Thousands filled the Grand Mosalla on Sunday to pay their respects to Khamenei and his four family members who were killed with him on February 28 in air strikes on his office in Tehran.Monday’s procession will be followed by similar events in the clerical hub of Qom on Tuesday and in Iraq’s holy cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday, culminating in Khamenei’s burial in his hometown of Mashhad in northeastern Iran on Thursday.The coffins of Khamenei and his family members are driven through Tehran. [IRIB via Reuters]The procession in Tehran will be followed by similar events in the clerical hub of Qom on July 7, 2026, and in Iraq’s holy cities of Najaf and Karbala on July 8, 2026, culminating in Khamenei’s burial in his hometown of Mashhad the next day. [Murad Sezer/Reuters]People gather at Ferdowsi Square in Tehran for the funeral procession. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]A member of the security forces stands guard as people gather for the procession. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]Men take a selfie as they wait for the procession to begin. [Atta Kenare/AFP]A woman holds a portrait of Khamenei as people gather for the procession. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]Mourners hold portraits of Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, Ali Khamenei's son, as they gather in Tehran's Revolution Square. [Altaf Qadri/AP Photo]The truck carrying Ali Khamenei's coffin makes its way through the crowds during the procession in Tehran. [Vahid Salemi/AP Photo]