Hundreds of thousands of mourners gathered in Tehran as Iran held funeral prayers for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The ceremony brought…
1/8Iran holds funeral prayers for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Iran held large-scale funeral prayers for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla on July 5. Hundreds of thousands of mourners attended the ceremony as the country began a week of mourning and funeral processions. (Image: AP)
2/8Senior Iranian leaders attend ceremony | Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and senior military officials attended the prayers. Their public appearance marked one of the first major gatherings of Iran’s leadership since the recent war, the Associated Press reported. (Image: Reuters)
3/8Three sons attend, Mojtaba remains absent | State television showed Khamenei’s sons Masoud, Meysam and Mostafa praying beside his coffin during the funeral. However, newly appointed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei did not appear. According to Reuters, people close to his inner circle said he was injured in the February 28 airstrike that killed his father and is believed to remain in hiding due to security concerns. (Image: Reuters)
4/8Massive crowds gather in Tehran | Thousands of mourners, including soldiers, religious students and civilians, filled the Grand Mosalla. Many carried Iranian flags and banners honouring Khamenei, while crowds chanted slogans during the funeral ceremonies. (Image: Reuters)
5/8Calls for revenge heard during funeral | According to AP, some posters, graffiti and speeches at the venue included calls against the United States and Israel. Some mourners also demanded revenge for Khamenei’s killing, while authorities maintained heavy security during the ceremony. (Image: AP)
6/8Funeral processions to continue across Iran and Iraq | Iranian authorities plan to take Khamenei’s coffin through Tehran before continuing funeral ceremonies in Qom, Iraq’s Shiite holy cities, and finally Mashhad, where he will be buried later this week. (Image: Reuters)
7/8Talks with US delayed during mourning | The funeral period has temporarily paused discussions aimed at reaching a permanent end to the recent conflict. According to reports, negotiations are expected to resume after the official mourning ceremonies conclude. (Image: AP)
8/8Funeral seen as major public show of support | Iranian authorities are expecting millions of people to participate in funeral events over several days. The large turnout comes as the country seeks to project unity following the conflict and the death of its longtime supreme leader. (Image: Reuters)
