Iran Begins Six-Day State Funeral Ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iran has begun six days of official state funeral ceremonies for its late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with funeral prayers and memorial events commencing on Saturday, according to state media.

Crowds gathered at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla before the arrival of the coffin, with thousands of mourners attending the ceremony. Some participants carried red banners symbolizing calls for retaliation and chanted anti-U.S. slogans during the gathering.

According to the report, Khamenei was killed along with several members of his family following the outbreak of hostilities involving the United States and Israel. Representatives from more than 100 countries, along with large numbers of mourners, are expected to attend the funeral events in Tehran.

The coffin was placed at the Grand Mosalla on Friday to allow members of the public to pay their respects. The main funeral ceremonies began early Saturday morning at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla, where the public will be able to offer condolences through Sunday.

The burial is scheduled to take place next Thursday in Mashhad, Khamenei’s birthplace. Iranian authorities estimate that between 12 million and 20 million people could participate in the funeral and related ceremonies, making it one of the largest state-organized public events in the country’s history.

If confirmed, the scale of the ceremonies would represent an unprecedented national mobilization for a state funeral in Iran.