Iran has begun several days of public mourning for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes in February.
Officials told AFP that the funeral in Tehran could draw as many as 20 million mourners and expect the public turnout to be a “referendum” for the Islamic Republic.
The regime’s ruling clerics are preparing days of mass funeral rites for Khamenei. Funeral events will begin over the weekend in Tehran, followed by mass processions next week in Qom and Masshad and ceremonies in Iraq.
"The large public turnout at the funeral procession of the martyred leader and the other martyrs will, in effect, be another referendum for the Islamic Republic," Qom Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Mohammad Saidi declared to state media.
Iran has warned Donald Trump and Israel not to launch strikes during the state funeral.
Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said the “enemies of Iran” should avoid a “miscalculation” or else face harsh retaliation.
Read MoreFears grow for British couple after almost two months on hunger strike in Iranian jail
Iran begins dayslong funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in war
What to know about the funeral and burial of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
How Iran will try to use Khamenei’s funeral to hide cracks in regime
Key Points
- Trump says Tehran given 'week off' for Khamenei funeral
- Small coffin of Khamenei's granddaughter placed at funeral
- Foreign leaders attend Khamenei funeral
- Iran hits back at Trump's remark about Tehran's need for US food
- Mourners gather to pay respects to slain leader
What is going on behind the political scenes of the Ayotallah's funeral
13:48 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe delayed ceremony for the former supreme leader now serves as a critical test for Iran’s embattled theocracy, testing its capacity to mobilise widespread public support- particularly as the event unfolds six months after security forces brutally suppressed nationwide protests against Ali Khamenei’s rule.
A significant turnout, while desired by the regime, also carries the inherent risk of deadly stampedes.
Such tragedies have marred previous high-profile funerals, including that of Iran’s first supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
An uneasy ceasefire, recently cemented by an interim agreement with the United States, is believed to have provided authorities with the confidence to proceed with the ceremony, which will involve the public appearance of top officials.
Throughout the war, Israel targeted and killed senior Iranian leaders, in at least one instance leveraging public appearances to track them.
How Trump’s Iran peace process descended into chaos in a week
13:24 , Maryam Zakir-HussainTwo weeks into the 60-day peace negotiation period between Iran and the United States and - despite President Donald Trump’s claims of success - little progress has been made.
Instead, both sides appear to be regressing: hostilities have flared and officials from both sides are no longer directly talking to each other as the clock keeps ticking and key issues, such as Iran’s nuclear programme, remain unresolved.
Read more here:
Iran peace process descends into farce as ‘talks about talks’ end in stalemate
Iran war has created growing rift between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince: report
13:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainA widening rift has opened up between Saudi Arabia and the United States because of the war in Iran, a report claims.
Officials told the Wall Street Journal the partnership between Washington and Riyadh is souring over disputes on how President Donald Trump has handled the war, which began after joint US-Israel strikes on Iran in February.
The US is reportedly now considering reducing its military presence in Saudi Arabia and instead putting its forces in countries it feels were more supportive during the war, including Israel and Jordan, according to the WSJ.
Iran war has created growing rift between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince: report
'Let us wail'
12:45 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAfter a day of Khamenei lying in state indoors for senior Iranian leaders and foreign officials to visit, his coffin, and those of several family members killed in the same airstrike, were brought to an outdoor stage for the general public to view from a distance, television footage showed.
Mourners filed into the vast courtyard of the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, beating their chests, wailing and waving the banners of the Islamic Republic and historic Shi'ite Muslim martyrs.
Women dressed in black chadors wore white visors or held umbrellas to shield from the hot mid-morning sun.
"Let us wail!" a compere encouraged the crowds through a loudspeaker.
"Everybody chant oppressed, everyone say Hussein," he said, invoking Shi'ite traditions of sacrifice, including that of the Prophet Mohammad's grandson Hussein.
On cue, the crowds wailed and chanted. The Israeli strike that killed Khamenei also killed his daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law, according to Iranian state media.
Fears grow for British couple after almost two months on hunger strike in Iranian jail
12:20 , Maryam Zakir-HussainFears are growing for a British couple detained in Iran who have not eaten in nearly two months after their contact with family was cut off.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both 53, have been on hunger strike for 55 and 46 days respectively in protest at their treatment inside Iran’s notorious Evin prison.
The couple were arrested on a once-in-a-lifetime world motorbike tour 18 months ago, and were later sentenced to 10 years in prison on espionage charges, which they completely deny.
UN human rights experts have demanded their urgent release, and warned that their incarceration raises grave concerns about state hostage-taking, adding that their hunger strike has reached the stage of a “medical emergency”.
Read the exclusive from crime correspondent Amy-Clare Martin here:
Fears grow for British couple after almost two months on hunger strike in Iran jail
Watch: Thousands pay tribute to Khamenei in Tehran during public farewell ceremony
12:02 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPowerful general in Iran emerges from hiding as Tehran prepares for Khamenei's dayslong funeral
11:39 , Maryam Zakir-HussainA powerful general who leads Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard emerged from hiding as Tehran prepared Friday for the dayslong funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Photos published online by Iranian state media showed Gen. Ahmad Vahidi attending a meeting about the funeral of Khamenei, 86, then sitting alongside his casket as Iran's theocracy held a smaller service for him Thursday night near the supreme leader's former home in downtown Tehran.
Vahidi has become a major player in formulating Iran’s tough stance in negotiating a possible permanent end to the war with the United States, experts say.
He is believed to be part of a small clique in direct contact with Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who remains in hiding after being reportedly wounded in the Feb. 28 Israeli strikes that killed his father, the elder Khamenei.
Powerful general in Iran emerges from hiding as Tehran prepares for Khamenei's dayslong funeral
How Iran will try to use Khamenei’s funeral to hide cracks in regime
11:20 , Maryam Zakir-HussainIran is keen to present a unified front for the late supreme leader’s funeral, even as analysts warn support for the clerical leadership is waning, writes James C. Reynolds:
Iran claims as many as 20 million people are expected to attend processions across the country in the coming days for the delayed mass funeral rites of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, more than four months after he was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike.
The regime will frame such a show of public devotion as proof of their resilience after surviving what they saw as an existential war with the United States and Israel.
They hope to mobilise the public to flood the cities, offering transport, food and accommodation to lift the numbers, and are welcoming foreign dignitaries to show Iran still has powerful friends around.
Read more here:
How Iran will try to use Khamenei’s funeral to hide cracks in regime
Khamenei will be buried Thursday in Mashhad
11:01 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAyotallah Khamenei’s body will be transported to cities in both Iran and neighboring Iraq.
Authorities have shut down streets, airspace and daily life for the mourning, which will end Thursday as he's buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Khamenei's place of birth.
Authorities offered no immediate attendance count for the event Saturday, which saw the crowds cycle in and out of the Grand Mosalla and the surrounding streets.
Other cities across Iran also held mourning ceremonies.
On Sunday, a prayer for the dead is planned at the Grand Mosalla.
On Monday, his body and those of his family will be taken through the streets of Tehran, which likely will draw large crowds.
“I am here to say goodbye to my beloved leader Ali Khamenei,” said a weeping Hananeh Mousavi, 27, who attended the funeral alongside her mother.
“I never expected to see such a day. I wish I had died before this tragedy.”
'This is a serious warning': Iran's chief negotiator sends message to Starmer and Macron
10:43 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAs the ceremony went on, Iran's chief negotiator Kazem Gharibabadi criticized a joint statement overnight from Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, which suggested their militaries stood ready to patrol the Strait of Hormuz.
Control of the strait has been a major point of leverage for Iran, which has suggested it wants to charge vessels passing through it, upending decades of the world considering it an international waterway.
“The security of Hormuz lies with the coastal states — the crisis-makers will be held accountable for the consequences of their adventurism,” Gharibabadi wrote on X. “This is a serious warning.”
تنگه هرمز میدان نمایش نظامی قدرتهای فرامنطقهای نیست. ایران بهعنوان قدرت مسئول و ضامن امنیت تنگه، نسبت به هر حرکت نظامی در این آبراه حساس هشدار میدهد. امنیت هرمز با دولتهای ساحلی است؛ بحرانسازان مسئول پیامدهای ماجراجویی خود خواهند بود؛ این هشدار جدی است. pic.twitter.com/v9n2GdHnb6
— Gharibabadi (@Gharibabadi) July 4, 2026
Funeral crowds chant: 'Death to America. Death to Israel'
10:22 , Maryam Zakir-HussainIran chose July 4, the 250th anniversary of the creation of the US, to begin the funeral.
While authorities did not acknowledge the timing, crowds at the ceremony in Tehran chanted: “Death to America!”
The refrain has been common in Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution and U.S. Embassy takeover and hostage crisis.
They also cried: “Death to Israel!”
The American president was not forgotten in Tehran.
In the crowd in Grand Mosalla, several mourners held a large flag that read: “#KillTrump.”
In pictures: Grieving crowds gather to pay respects to late supreme leader
09:46 , Maryam Zakir-HussainHere are some of the latest photos from the funeral in Tehran today:
Mourners fill the streets of Tehran
08:51 , Maryam Zakir-HussainMourners thronged a vast prayer complex in Tehran on Saturday as the week-long funeral ceremonies of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began with the national anthem, religious eulogies and readings from the Quran.
Television footage showed his coffin draped with the Iranian flag and topped with his black turban.
It was placed, along with four other coffins of his slain family members, on a large black platform that resembled the Kaaba, representing Islam's holiest site in Mecca.
The vast courtyard of the complex, the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, was filled with mourners, many waving Iranian flags and carrying photographs of the slain leader.
In Video: Ali Khamenei's funeral begins in Tehran
08:30 , Vishwam SankaranSmall coffin of Khamenei's granddaughter placed at funeral
08:00 , Vishwam SankaranA casket containing the body of slain Iranian leader Ali Khamenei was placed alongside the coffins of his relatives killed in US-Israeli airstrikes in February, including a small coffin of his 14-month-old granddaughter.
Un cadre du cercueil de la martyre Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani, #petite-fille du Guide suprême martyr de la Révolution islamique, à la Mosalla de #Téhéran.#بدرقه_آقای_شهید_ایران#باید_برخاست#NousDevonsNousSoulever#MartyrKhamenei pic.twitter.com/8JemW4zW4A
— Iran en France (@IRANinFRANCE) July 3, 2026
Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani's small coffin was draped in the Iranian national flag, with her framed photo next to it.
Six days of public funeral ceremonies have been planned, with Khamenei's remains expected to be carried across cities in Iran and neighbouring Iraq.
Video: Foreign leaders attend Khamenei funeral
07:30 , Vishwam SankaranLeaders from Pakistan, Turkey, and Russia arrived at Tehran to pay their respects to the slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Some in attendance were Russian security council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev, Turkish vice president Cevdet Yilmaz, Iraqi president Nizar Amidi, Iraqi parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistani senate chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani and army chief Asim Munir
Caskets of Khamenei and his family unveiled
07:00 , Vishwam SankaranThe casket of slain Iranian leader Ali Khamenei and those of his family members killed in US airstrike in February were unveiled inside a glass case before weeping mourners in Tehran today.
Iranian state television broadcast showed the casket being unveiled as thousands of grieving people gathered at Tehran's Grand Mosalla religious complex.
Videos broadcast by the state news channel show thousands dressed in black packing the streets, waving Iranian flags and other banners.
Several carried red banners, a symbol associated with calls for revenge, chanting “death to America” and “revenge, revenge”, AFP reported.
Tehran given 'week off' for Khamenei funeral, Trump says
06:30 , Vishwam SankaranIn a speech at Mount Rushmore yesterday, president Donald Trump bragged that the US "knocked the hell out of Iran" and "gave them a week off" to mourn the slain late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
"They’re dying to settle; they want to settle so badly," he said at the speech marking the 250th anniversary celebrations of the US.
“We gave them a week off for a funeral because we’re nice,” Trump said.
In Pictures: Mourners gather to pay respects to slain leader
06:00 , Vishwam Sankaran
Iran hits back at Trump's remark about Tehran's need for US food
05:30 , Vishwam SankaranIran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, hit back at US president Donald Trump's recent statement that Tehran needed imports from the US to ease its food situation.
“They need food. They need corn and wheat and soya beans, and we’re going to have exclusively our American farmers provide," Trump told CNBC on Thursday.
Ghalibaf dismissed the US president's assertions.
“Our assets, our choices. Mind your malnutrition rates,” the Iranian parliament speaker said.
“Imagine having 40-something million of your own citizens on food stamps and calling another nation hungry,” he said.
Over 42 million people in the US participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program last year, commonly called the food stamp programme, according to the US agriculture department
Houthis say they confronted Saudi 'warplanes' targeting plane headed to Iran
05:00 , Vishwam SankaranYemen's Houthis said they confronted warplanes, alleging they attempted to prevent the landing of planes carrying dignitaries to Iran from the Sanaa International Airport, the group's military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on Friday.
The Houthis warned that they would target "Saudi airports and vital interests on land and sea" if the Saudis continued what the group called violations of Yemeni airspace.
A Saudi-led coalition said the Houthis' statement was an attempt to "divert attention away" from the group's "violations" against the Yemeni people.
Thousands enter funeral venue before processions
04:30 , Vishwam SankaranCrowds of thousands of people entered the Imam Khomeini Mosalla prayer complex in Tehran to pay respects to the slain Supreme Leader ahead of the official start of the processions.
The courtyard of the prayer complex was filled with people, AFP reported.
With heavy traffic restrictions imposed across Tehran, mourners could be seen walking several miles to reach the venue on state television broadcasts.
Foreign leaders arrive to pay tribute to Khamenei
03:53 , Vishwam SankaranIran received leaders from Pakistan, Turkey, and Russia who came to pay respects to slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as funeral processions for the former Ayatollah began in Tehran on Friday, according to Iranian state television.
Foreign leaders arrived at the prayer complex in Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mosalla to offer condolences and pay respects before the body of Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran on 28 February, triggering weeks of elevated tensions across the Middle East.
Russian security council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev, Turkish vice president Cevdet Yilmaz, Iraqi president Nizar Amidi, Iraqi parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistani senate chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani and army chief Asim Munir are some leaders who could be spotted on state television broadcast.
What to know about the funeral and burial of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
02:45 , Maira ButtMonths after his death at the outset of Iran’s war with the United States and Israel, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the nation’s supreme leader, will be honoured with a multi-day funeral and burial ceremony.
The extensive mourning period will see his body transported through cities in both Iran and neighbouring Iraq, in a spectacle that is likely to be promoted heavily by Iran’s theocracy to encourage public, governmental and paramilitary participation.
Khamenei, who governed Iran for nearly four decades, was killed on 28 February when the US and Israel jointly initiated the conflict. The ensuing war necessitated a delay in his funeral arrangements.
Iran begins days-long funeral for Ayatollah Khamenei months after his death
Watch: Iran begins public mourning for Ayatollah Khamenei with funeral to draw 20 million
02:15 , Maira ButtPowerful general in Iran emerges from hiding as Tehran prepares for Khamenei's dayslong funeral
01:45 , Maira ButtA powerful general who leads Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard emerged from hiding as Tehran prepared Friday for the dayslong funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Photos published online by Iranian state media showed Gen. Ahmad Vahidi attending a meeting about the funeral of Khamenei, 86, then sitting alongside his casket as Iran's theocracy held a smaller service for him Thursday night near the supreme leader's former home in downtown Tehran.
Powerful general in Iran emerges from hiding as Tehran prepares for Khamenei's dayslong funeral
Where will Ayatollah Ali Khamenei buried?
01:30 , Maira ButtAuthorities have confirmed that slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be interred in Mashhad at the shrine to Imam Reza, the eighth imam of Shiite Islam. The shrine attracts millions of pilgrims annually. A hadith, or saying, promises relief from sorrow or sin to those who visit the shrine.
Many prominent Shiite clerics, as well as Iran’s late president Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in 2024, are buried there.
In pictures: Foreign delegations arrive in Tehran for funeral
01:00 , Maira Butt
When will the funeral begin?
Saturday 4 July 2026 00:30 , Maira ButtThe funeral is scheduled to commence on Saturday in Tehran, Iran’s capital. Khamenei’s body will be displayed at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla over the weekend. On Monday, it will be paraded through the streets of Tehran before being moved to the Shiite seminary city of Qom, approximately 120km (75 miles) to the south, where further tributes will be paid on Tuesday.
Wednesday will see Khamenei’s body transported to Karbala, Iraq, home to the revered shrine of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad and a longstanding symbol of resistance for the Shiite faithful.
This day also coincides with the anniversary of the protests against Khamenei’s rule, which resulted in thousands of deaths at the hands of security forces. The procession will culminate in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city.
Who was Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?
Friday 3 July 2026 23:59 , Maira ButtSlain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled over Iran for over four decades and became a beloved figure to many in the Middle East while a controversial figure for many in the west as well as many within his own country.
Read his obituary by The Independent below.
Oman agrees to work with Britain and France on Strait of Hormuz
Friday 3 July 2026 23:38 , Maira ButtOman has agreed to work with Britain and France to make sure the Strait of Hormuz remains open, a statement released by the countries’ leaders said on Friday.
The joint statement from Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron said: “The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for the global economy. Restoring safe transit for ships of all nations through the strait is a matter of global concern.
“The sultanate of Oman has agreed to work with the United Kingdom and France to ensure that its sovereign territorial waters are safe for navigation.
“The UK and France also stand ready to deploy the wider multinational military mission to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The United Kingdom and France reaffirm their shared commitment to regional stability, respect for the sovereignty of all states and their willingness to maintain close co-operation with their partners in order to uphold global security, freedom of navigation and international law.”
Khamenei's funeral: Here's what to expect in the coming days
Friday 3 July 2026 23:00 , Maira ButtAyatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral is expected to last several days. The 86-year-old supreme leader was killed in US-Israeli strikes on his home on 28 February. The funeral will also be for several members of his family.
- 3 July - Foreign delegations met with Iranian officials, including foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, president Masoud Pezeshkian and parliamentary speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf. Representatives from several countries including Russia, India, Pakistan and Armenia were in attendance as Khamenei’s casket lay in state.
- 4 July – Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla will open for a continuous 24-hour public farewell ceremony.
- 5 July – The second day is dedicated to funeral prayers for the supreme leader and members of his family.
- 6 July – The main funeral procession in Tehran will take place on Monday and is expected to begin at 6 am local time. It will follow a 10km route from Imam Hossein Square to Azadi Square.
- 7 July - Further prayers will be held at the Jamkaran Mosque in Qom.
- 8 July – The late supreme leader’s body will be transported to the city of Najaf in Iraq. Iraq’s prime minister will be present at the Imam Ali Shrine, an important pilgrimage site for Shia Muslims after which the body will travel by helicopter to the shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala, before returning to Iran.
- 9 July – Khamenei will be buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, the town where he was born. It is considered one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam.
In pictures: Iranian officials including IRGC and Basij paramilitary pay respects to slain supreme leader
Friday 3 July 2026 22:30 , Maira Butt
