Tehran Holds Funeral Procession for Khamenei Weeks After Iran Agrees to End War with US and Israel

Huge crowds lined the streets of Tehran on 6 July 2026 for the funeral procession of Iran's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war with the US and Israel, BBC News reported. Iranian state TV showed many tens of thousands of mourners gathered to watch his flag-draped coffin transported by lorry along a 10km route from Imam Hossein Square in the east to Azadi Square in the west, passing through Enghelab Square.

State media reported that millions filled the connecting boulevards.

Khamenei's body had lain in state for two days at Tehran's Grand Mosalla mosque, where three of his sons prayed beside the coffin on Sunday. Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as supreme leader, did not appear. He has not been seen in public since an Israeli air strike on 28 February in Tehran that killed his father and mother and left him seriously wounded, BBC News reported.

Mourners waved Iranian flags and red banners symbolising vengeance. Placards called for the death of US President Donald Trump, and some threw stones at a billboard showing his face. " Former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made his first major public appearance since the war began.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei and Quds Force commander Brig-Gen Esmail Qaani also attended. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said: "Ali Khamenei was eliminated by Israel because he had threatened its existence. " Khamenei, who was 86, had ruled Iran for 37 years after becoming supreme leader in 1989.

The ceremonies occur less than three weeks after Iran and the US signed a preliminary agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20% of global oil and gas shipments. The two sides set a two-month deadline for a final deal on Iran's nuclear programme, US sanctions and a permanent truce. Qatar reported positive progress at indirect talks in Doha last week.