Tens of Thousands Attend Funeral of Slain Iranian Leader in Tehran

Tens of thousands of mourners filled the streets of Tehran on Sunday for the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died at age 86 after a February 28 airstrike. The service took place at the Grand Mosalla mosque, where Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, 97, led prayers. Hundreds of thousands attended the July 5 event, which marked the start of eight days of national mourning.

Khamenei's sons Masoud, Meysam and Mostafa attended the service, along with Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Esmail Qaani, head of the Quds Force. The body will move through Tehran streets on July 6 and be buried July 9 at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad. The procession will also visit five cities in Iran and Iraq.

Mourners chanted "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" and called for revenge. Some called for the assassination of U.S. President Donald Trump. Ziba Naderi, a 42-year-old nurse, said Iran must listen to Mojtaba Khamenei's commands. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader's son and reported successor, has not appeared in public since the attack and is reported to have suffered significant injuries during the Israel-U.S. strikes.

>"We've had tremendous success. " — President Trump, July 5 (Sydney Morning Herald) The U.S. assisted 70 transits of the Strait of Hormuz in the 72 hours ending July 5. The vessels' operators have not been publicly identified by the U.S. government.