In brief
The late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei died in a twin strike that ignited the current Iran–US war. Tehran’s streets were filled with tens of thousands who followed his coffin through the capital, waving flags and chanting slogans demanding the death of US President Donald Trump and Israel’s allies. Three of the late leader’s sons were present, but successor Mojtaba, wounded in the same attack, remained absent. The funeral comes just weeks after a preliminary peace agreement was signed, signalling an uneasy pause in the conflict.
Massive tear‑jersey procession in Tehran for Iran’s former Supreme Leader
Hundreds of thousands of mourners lined the streets of Tehran for the funeral procession of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose death was foreshadowed by the first day of the war with the United States and Israel.
Footage from Iranian state TV captured a black lorry bearing Khamenei’s flag‑draped coffin moving slowly across a 10‑kilometre route that cut through the capital’s landmark Enghelab Square. The procession passed by key ceremonial sites, including Imam Hossein Square in the east and Azadi Square in the west, as mourners crowded the main boulevards.
After a two‑day lay‑in‑state at the Grand Mosalla mosque, the coffin was escorted under a thick chain of flags. Three of Khamenei’s sons stood beside the coffin, but successor Mojtaba — seriously wounded in an Israeli air strike on 28 February that also killed the late leader’s wife — made no appearance.
The scene was punctuated by chants calling for the death of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had ordered the joint attack that set the war in motion. Protesters hurled stones at a billboard bearing Trump’s portrait, demanding the US be held accountable for their father’s death.
In the backdrop of the funeral lie a fragile ceasefire. Less than three weeks after Iran and the US signed a preliminary agreement to end hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20% of global oil shipments, talks are underway to reach a lasting truce and address Iran’s nuclear programme. Qatar brokered a “positive” progress at indirect Doha talks, with a next meeting scheduled after the funeral ceremonies.
Following the Tehran procession, the rites will move to Qom, then to the Iraqi cities of Karbala and Najaf, before the final burial at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Iran’s north‑eastern city.
Witnessing the beyond‑political tapestry: Former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and current president Masoud Pezeshki were seen among the crowds, their public presence reinforcing the narrative of unity amid conflict.
An embedded route map and photographic evidence of the procession underscore the scale: in situ images from the BBC’s live feed show the black lorry surrounded by a dense throng, while Reuters footage captures a woman holding a photo of Khamenei surrounded by red flags.
Article adapted for OnPoint with added context and analysis.
