Tens of Thousands Attend Tehran Funeral for Slain Leader Khamenei as New Supreme Leader Stays Away

Tens of thousands of mourners gathered at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla mosque on July 4 for a farewell ceremony honoring Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and family members killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28. The coffins rested on a podium displaying a portrait of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. The body will be laid to rest in Mashhad on July 9.

Iran’s ambassador to China, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, told the World Peace Forum in Beijing on Saturday that China and other friendly countries will receive special treatment in the Strait of Hormuz under a new arrangement coordinated with Oman. The plan includes fees on vessels passing through the strait, which he said will not contradict international law.

Russia’s Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev stated that Moscow is ready to continue its strategic partnership with Iran following the US-Israeli war.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the nation will seek justice against the US and Israel. Gaza’s health ministry reported at least 16 Palestinians killed over the past two days, including nine bodies retrieved from collapsed buildings, along with 16 injured people registered at hospitals.

The Lebanese Health Ministry said the death toll from Israeli attacks since March 2 has reached 4,303 killed and 12,202 wounded.

Exiled former crown prince Reza Pahlavi described Khamenei as a “deceased dictator” not mourned by the people and said the regime spent vast sums on the funeral spectacle while no democratic leaders attended. Iranian media reported that new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is not expected to attend the multi-day ceremonies.