Iran begins dayslong funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in war

By — Nasser Karimi, Associated Press Nasser Karimi, Associated Press By — Jon Gambrell, Associated Press Jon Gambrell, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/iran-begins-dayslong-funeral-for-the-late-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-killed-in-war Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Iran begins dayslong funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in war World Jul 4, 2026 12:13 PM EDT TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of mourners began a dayslong funeral Saturday for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, beating their chests in sorrow before the glass case containing his flag-draped coffin in Tehran and calling for revenge against Israel and the United States. WATCH: News Wrap: Iran begins funeral ceremonies for late Supreme Leader Khamenei The funeral for Khamenei, who ruled Iran for decades before he was killed at age 86 in a Feb. 28 airstrike in the opening moments of the Iran war, could provide a boost for the country's theocracy and its new supreme leader, his son Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. That is important as Iran tries to leverage its hold on the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations with the U.S. over a permanent end to the war and as concern lingers that Israel could attack again. The funeral was delayed as the war raged. During the ceremony, Iran's top negotiator warned France and the United Kingdom over their comments about potentially launching joint patrols in the waterway, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil and natural gas once passed in peacetime. Mourners wept at the sight of Khamenei's coffin alongside those of his family members also killed in the airstrike, with some chanting: "Our word is one! Revenge! Revenge!" Some carried banners and flags, while billboards across the city bore Khamenei's image. Crowds of men rhythmically beat their chests in mourning, a common practice at Shiite funerals. "Imam Khamenei was our heart, our father, our everything," mourner Masoumeh Mohammadi said. "I still can't believe they martyred him. We will not rest until we avenge his death." Coffins are on display at Grand Mosalla An outdoor stage set up at the Grand Mosalla resembled the stage where Khamenei once gave his speeches at a husseiniyah at his compound in downtown Tehran. There was a chair like the one he once sat in while giving his sermons, complete with a microphone on a stand and a table next to it. Above it hung an image of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who died in 1989. Khomeini's funeral saw chaotic scenes as millions thronged his mourning ceremony and trip to the cemetery. Khamenei's death was only the second time Iran has lost a supreme leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. READ MORE: Mojtaba Khamenei, a son of Iran's late supreme leader, is chosen to replace his father On Saturday, volunteers sprayed cooling water on crowds in the