Iran Begins Weeklong Funeral Procession for Late Supreme Leader

Millions of Iranians joined funeral processions and memorial services across five cities in Iran and Iraq for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The ceremonies began on Friday and are scheduled to end with burial on July 9 in Mashhad. Mourners dressed in black filled Tehran on Monday for a procession carrying the coffin.

State media showed three of the late leader's sons—Mostafa, Meysam, and Masoud—crying as the coffins were carried into Tehran’s Grand Mosalla the previous day.

Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared in public since taking office. His image has appeared on posters in the capital, but he did not attend the July 1 funeral for his wife, Zahra Haddad-Adel, who was also killed in the strikes.

Officials cited security concerns for the absence. One aide said the decision was driven by those concerns rather than injury. Written statements attributed to the new leader have been released, including authorization of a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. to end the war.

The ceremonies overlap with the Islamic month of Muharram and the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. Organizers said the events serve as both mourning and a rallying point for the ruling authorities. Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian, head of Iran's national funeral and farewell committee, stated that the Supreme Leader’s attendance was outside the committee’s authority.

The procession is expected to pass through Najaf and Karbala in Iraq on July 8 before reaching Mashhad.