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Millions Flood Tehran as Six-Day Funeral Ceremonies Begin for Assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday to attend the funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The funeral, delayed due to the Middle East war, proceeds under a fragile ceasefire secured by the Islamabad MoU, with the Pakistani delegation offering state condolences before the PM travels onward to Turkiye.
ND
by News Desk
2026-07-04
Millions Flood Tehran as Six-Day Funeral Ceremonies Begin for Assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei

Detailed Report

  • The Massive Public Gathering: Mourning ceremonies for Iran’s long-serving Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, officially commenced on Saturday, July 4, 2026, drawing immense crowds to the capital. Khamenei, who governed the Islamic Republic for 35 years, was assassinated at age 86 during targeted U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28, the opening day of the intense five-week Middle East conflict. Authorities project that between 15 and 20 million participants will converge on Tehran alone over the next three days, making it the country's largest public event since the 1989 burial of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

  • High Security and Extreme Conditions: Thousands of mourners carrying red banners packed the immense courtyard of Tehran’s Grand Mosalla religious complex to await the arrival of the coffin, echoing chants of "death to America" and "revenge, revenge." In anticipation of the massive turnout, authorities imposed stringent security measures, shutting down critical roadways and scheduling airspace closures. To mitigate the risks of crowd crushes and extreme summer temperatures exceeding $35^\circ\text{C}$ ($95^\circ\text{F}$), municipal services deployed water tankers to spray the streets and cool down the dense crowds walking several kilometers to the venue.

  • The Global and Internal Political Spotlight: The six-day state funeral is being closely scrutinized by global intelligence networks for the first public appearance of Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader's son who was appointed as the new Supreme Leader a week after the assassination. Mojtaba, who has only communicated via written statements amid reports that he was wounded in the initial February 28 strikes, has yet to be seen. Meanwhile, top surviving officials displayed a unified front, including Ahmad Vahidi, who made his first public appearance since being named the new chief of the powerful Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) following the assassination of his predecessor.

  • International Envoys and the Funeral Route: High-level international dignitaries paid their respects on the eve of the public procession, including Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Russian Security Council Deputy Head Dmitry Medvedev, and delegations representing Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Afghan Taliban. PM Shehbaz stated that Khamenei's "wisdom, leadership, and profound influence... will be remembered for generations." The coffin will lie in state at the Tehran complex until Monday's grand capital procession. On Tuesday, July 7, the cortege will move to the clerical hub of Qom, cross into holy Shia cities in Iraq on Wednesday, and culminate in a final burial on Thursday, July 9, in Khamenei's home city of Mashhad.
Tagged:

#Tehran #PrimeMinisterShehbaz #FieldMarshalAsimMunir #AyatollahKhamenei #PakistanIranRelations #IslamabadMoU #MiddleEastCeasefire #BreakingNewsPakistan
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