People paying their last respects to former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on July 4, 2026. Photo REUTERS / Murad Sezer Water is sprayed on people attending a public farewell ceremony to pay their respects to late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in Israeli and U.S. airstrikes, at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, in Tehran, Iran July 4, 2026. REUTERS/Murad Sezer Foreign media in Iran operate under guidelines set by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which regulates press activity and permissions ISRAEL OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN ISRAEL. NO ACCESS FOR ISRAELI MEDIA. NO USE BBC PERSIAN. NO USE VOA PERSIAN. NO USE MANOTO. NO USE IRAN INTERNATIONAL. NO USE RADIO FARDA. DIGITAL: NO USE BBC PERSIAN. NO USE VOA PERSIAN. NO USE MANOTO. NO USE IRAN INTERNATIONAL. NO USE RADIO FARDA. REFILE - ADDING INFORMATION
Dawn was just breaking Saturday in Tehran when crowds of mourners called for ‘’revenge’’ before the coffin of Ali Khamenei, displayed for a public farewell to the late leader of the Islamic Republic. Iranian state television announced around 6 a.m. local time the start of national funeral ceremonies at the sprawling Mosalla complex, which includes a mosque.
’’We are not here for a funeral but for revenge,’’ a eulogist shouted to tearful mourners. Many in the crowd waved red flags bearing the word ‘Martyr’ or the yellow flags of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.
Khamenei was killed at age 86 on Feb. 28 when Israeli-U.S. strikes hit his residence in Tehran, setting off a regional conflict.
Red banners calling for ‘’revenge’’ and ‘#KillTrump’ were displayed as the United States marked the 250th anniversary of its independence. Many attendees appeared to be conservative supporters, including women in chadors and men dressed in black. Some attended with their children.
’’I never had the chance to see the supreme leader up close, and I regret it. Today, I came to say my final farewell,’’ Javad Akbari, 43, a food industry worker, told AFP.
Two rows of Iranian flags flanked Khamenei’s coffin beneath the dome of the vast Mosalla prayer complex. The walls were lined with large portraits of the ayatollah from different stages of his life, including images of him visiting soldiers on the front lines during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War.
‘’We promised the supreme leader that we would stay with him until the end. Everyone is here for him,’’ said Reza, a 37-year-old university professor, adding that Khamenei ‘’sacrificed himself for us.’’
Religious and patriotic songs echoed through the complex as mourners paid their respects, many sitting on the ground. In keeping with Shiite mourning traditions, many beat their chests and chanted, ‘’Death to America, death to Israel !’’ — a slogan regularly heard at official gatherings.
Water was sprayed over the crowd as temperatures were expected to exceed 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). Many mourners carried portraits of Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as supreme leader. Since taking office in March, he has not appeared publicly and has communicated only through attributed statements.
The public funeral comes amid a fragile cease-fire with the United States and six months after major protests over the cost of living and government authority. On Saturday, central Tehran resembled a fortified camp, with concrete barriers and police vehicles blocking roads leading to the site for about 2 kilometers.
Iranian authorities said they expected between 15 million and 20 million people to attend the ceremonies in Tehran, part of a six-day national tribute that will also include a stop in neighboring Iraq.
On Monday, Khamenei’s body will be taken through the streets of Tehran for a final farewell before the funeral procession moves Tuesday to the holy city of Qom. He is scheduled to be buried July 9 in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, where he was born.
