Millions of Mourners Join Funeral Procession for Iran’s Slain Supreme Leader in Tehran

The entire city echoed with chants of “Long live Khamenei” and “Death to Israel, death to America.” Mourners dressed in black, carrying red flags, paid their final respects to their leader.
As part of the official state program for the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and family members killed alongside him, a funeral procession set out from Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran on Monday. The massive procession lasted roughly 10 to 12 hours, moving through Damavand Street, Imam Hussein Square, Enghelab Street, Enghelab Square, Azadi Street, Azadi Square, and Shahid Lashgari Highway before concluding near Mehrabad Airport, from where the bodies were transported to the city of Qom.
Over the past three days, millions have paid tribute to Khamenei and four other family members during official and public mourning ceremonies at Tehran’s Grand Musalla. Authorities said millions took part in Monday’s procession alone, after declaring Sunday and Monday official holidays and estimating that up to 15 million people would participate in the Tehran ceremonies.
Thousands of mourners walked silently carrying red flags and photographs of their leaders, while many chanted vows of revenge against the US and Israel. Crowds stood for hours along the route for a final glimpse of the coffin and the turban placed atop it.
Tiny Coffin of 14-Month-Old Granddaughter Moves Mourners to Tears
Amid the vast funeral gathering, attention turned to a small coffin carrying the remains of Zahra Mohammadi Golpaygani, Khamenei’s 14-month-old granddaughter. The sight of the child’s tiny coffin brought millions of mourners to tears and was widely described in global and social media coverage as the most heartbreaking moment of the funeral.
Trump Symbolically Stoned
During the procession, mourners hurled pebbles at an image of US President Donald Trump bearing the word “Satan” — a gesture echoing the “stoning of the devil” ritual performed during Hajj. Chants of “Death to America, death to Israel” accompanied the act, which was captured in footage released by the state-run Mizan News Agency.
New Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei Absent Again
According to state television, the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was absent from his father’s funeral for a third consecutive day, despite the presence of nearly all of the country’s top political and military leadership. President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i, and senior IRGC commanders attended, along with Khamenei’s three sons — Mostafa, Meysam, and Masoud — who took part in the funeral prayers. Mojtaba Khamenei’s continued absence has fueled fresh speculation about his health, security, and the future of the leadership.
What Comes Next
Under the official schedule, the funeral convoy will travel to southern Iraq on July 8, visiting the shrines of Imam Ali in Najaf and Imam Hussein in Karbala, before returning to Iran. Ali Khamenei will be laid to rest on July 9 at the shrine of Imam Reza in his hometown of Mashhad.
Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported that Khamenei’s coffin, draped in the Iranian flag, was placed on a truck alongside the coffins of family members killed in the airstrike that marked the start of the war with Israel and the US on February 28.