State Funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

Iran held a six-day state funeral for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on 28 February 2026, aged 86, in an airstrike on a government residence in Tehran. The elaborate funeral ceremonies spanned five cities, beginning with farewell rites at Tehran's Grand Mosalla mosque and concluding with burial in Mashhad, Khamenei's birthplace, near the shrine of Imam Reza.

Khamenei had served as Iran's supreme leader for approximately 36–37 years before his death. The airstrike that killed him occurred on the first day of the US-Israeli war with Iran. Multiple members of Khamenei's family also died in the strike, including his 14-month-old granddaughter, his eldest daughter, his son-in-law, and the wife of his son Mojtaba Khamenei.

Iranian authorities ordered the closure of public and private offices in Tehran from Saturday to Monday, restricted private vehicles in the city center, and progressively closed Tehran's airspace to accommodate the funeral proceedings. Thousands to hundreds of thousands gathered at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran for the initial farewell ceremonies. Mourners wore black, carried flags and banners calling for revenge, and chanted anti-Israel and anti-US slogans, expressing demands for retribution for the airstrike that killed Khamenei.

At least eight heads of government or state from countries including Iraq, Pakistan, Armenia, and Tajikistan attended the funeral at senior levels, along with parliamentary speakers from 12 countries. No European countries were formally invited. Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei stated that countries seen as having taken 'an inappropriate position' on the US-Israeli strikes were not invited.

Mojtaba Khamenei was appointed as Iran's new supreme leader, succeeding his father. He was the sole member of Iran's entire leadership absent from the Sunday morning prayer at the funeral, though three of his brothers attended.

Left-leaning and center-left outlets reported that the funeral itinerary included ceremonies at Tehran's Grand Mosalla on Saturday and Sunday, a procession through Tehran on Monday, a stop in Qom on Tuesday, ceremonies in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday, and final burial in Mashhad on Thursday. According to these sources, the Monday funeral procession through central Tehran was expected to last 10–12 hours, running from Revolution/Imam Hossein Square to Azadi Square. The body was carried through the Shia holy cities of Karbala and Najaf in Iraq at the request of Iraqi politicians.

Center-left and left-leaning outlets attributed large crowd estimates to Iranian state media and officials. Iranian state media and officials reported that millions gathered in Tehran for the funeral procession, with Iranian Press TV describing it as the 'largest public gathering in the country's modern history.' Funeral organizers claimed up to 30 million people could attend at some point across the six-day ceremonies, while Iranian officials separately estimated 15–20 million attendees. These outlets also noted that no fatalities occurred during the funeral procession, in contrast to previous major Iranian state funerals — particularly that of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989 — that descended into deadly crowd chaos.

Center-left outlets reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian praised the crowds' behavior at the funeral, described the gathering as a covenant rather than a farewell, and accused Israel — with US and European support — of perpetrating crimes across the region. The same outlets reported that the phrase 'Kill Trump' was chalked on the stage at the funeral on Sunday, and calls for the murder of Donald Trump were made during the public farewell ceremonies.

The Guardian reported that Donald Trump characterized the grief displayed at the funeral as 'fake tears,' while Iranian President Pezeshkian publicly rejected this characterization, stating the world could see the truth of the mourners' pain.

Center-left and center outlets reported that more than 300 foreign journalists were granted rare visas to report on the funeral, though British and American journalists were officially advised not to speak to mourners. Euronews reported that Russia sent Dmitry Medvedev as special envoy of President Vladimir Putin to the funeral.

The Guardian reported that the funeral coincided with Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, when Shia Muslims commemorate the seventh-century martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali. The outlet also reported that Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, commander-in-chief of the IRGC, made his first public appearance since 8 February at the funeral, having previously played a role in crushing January protests and in Iran's asymmetric warfare strategy.

Center-left and center outlets characterized Mojtaba Khamenei's absence from the funeral as resulting from wounds he reportedly sustained in the 28 February US-Israeli strike, noting that the extent of his injuries remains unknown and that he has communicated only through written statements. Center-left outlets reported that Iranian officials, however, cited security concerns rather than wounds as the reason for his absence. The Guardian separately reported that Mojtaba issued written statements that distanced him from ceasefire negotiations while simultaneously sanctioning their continuation.

The Guardian reported that Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz threatened to kill Mojtaba Khamenei, describing him as 'marked for death.' According to the same outlet, Katz's threats prompted Iranian hardliners to call for a re-examination of Iran's fatwa against possessing nuclear weapons.