Iran Begins Days-Long Funeral for Supreme Leader Khamenei Killed in Airstrike
Iran began a days-long funeral Saturday for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an airstrike at the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran. [1] The 86-year-old Khamenei’s casket was unveiled in a glass case at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla, where mourners wept, chanted “Revenge! Revenge!” and beat their chests in a Shiite mourning ritual. [3]
Funeral Ceremonies Begin in Tehran
Iran on Saturday began a days-long funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. [1] Authorities unveiled the casket containing Khamenei’s body in a glass case at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran, Iran’s capital. [3] Mourners wept at the sight, with some chanting “Our word is one! Revenge! Revenge!” [3] Some carried banners and flags, while billboards across the city bore Khamenei’s image. [3] Crowds of men rhythmically beat their chests in mourning, a common practice at Shiite funerals. [3] The body of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei arrived at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla religious complex on Friday. [1] Iran’s new IRGC chief emerged from hiding to pay his respects to the slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as Tehran prepared for the days-long funeral ceremonies. [1] Several hundred people were already waiting on Friday evening outside the venue for the funeral of Iran’s slain supreme leader. [1]
Khamenei's Death in US-Israeli War
The 86-year-old was killed in an air strike at the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran. [1] An outdoor stage set up at the Grand Mosalla resembled the stage where Khamenei once gave his speeches at a husseiniyah at his compound in downtown Tehran. [3] That site was destroyed in the Israeli airstrike that killed Khamenei and some of his family at the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28. [3] The caskets of his dead family members sat beneath his, which had his black turban atop it, identifying him as a direct descendent of the Prophet Muhammad. [3] Mojtaba Khamenei’s late wife was one of the dead on display at the Grand Mosalla. [3]
Mourners' Tributes and Expectations
“I am here to say goodbye to my beloved leader Ali Khamenei,” said a weeping Hananeh Mousavi, 27, who attended the funeral alongside her mother. [3] “I never expected to see such a day. I wish I had died before this tragedy.” [3] Iran’s government expects to see millions flood the streets of the capital in scenes reminiscent of the burial of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. [3] Organizers sprayed water on the crowds and offered cold drinks to help those with the summertime heat. [3] “We attended the funeral to show that we are all committed to defend our country and religion,” said Ali Kazemi, who came from the northwestern city of Tabriz, some 530 kilometers (330 miles) away from Tehran. [3] Authorities have shut down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran for the mourning. [3]
Geopolitical Context and Warnings
Iran chose July 4, the 250th anniversary of the creation of the U.S., to begin the funeral. [3] While authorities did not acknowledge the timing, crowds at the ceremony in Tehran chanted “Death to America!” — reprising a cry that’s been common in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis. [3] “We knocked the hell out of Iran,” U.S. President Donald Trump said in a speech at the same time in South Dakota in front of Mount Rushmore. [3] “They want to settle so badly. We gave them a week off for a funeral.” [3] The American president was not forgotten in Tehran. [3] In the crowd in Grand Mosalla, several mourners held a large flag that read “#KillTrump.” [3] A large turnout could provide a boost for Iran’s government, particularly as it tries to leverage its hold on the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations with the United States over a permanent end to the war, and as concern still lingers that Israel could attack yet again. [3] Israel’s repeated threats to kill Mojtaba Khamenei drew a warning from Iran’s joint military command Thursday, which told Israel and the U.S. “to avoid any miscalculation” over the coming days. [3]
Succession and Future Outlook
It remains unclear whether Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, will appear at his father’s funeral. [3] The late supreme leader appeared in 1989 at Khomeini’s funeral, weeping visibly, as he began his journey to lead Iran for decades with an iron fist while confronting the West. [3] Khamenei’s body will be transported to cities in both Iran and neighboring Iraq. [3]
What to watch next: Iran’s joint military command has warned Israel and the U.S. to avoid any miscalculation over the coming days while the funeral proceeds and negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz continue.
