Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Monday for the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader who was killed in the opening hours of the U.S.-Israel war with Iran.
Khamenei’s body will be taken through both Iran and Iraq in a six-day procession honoring the late religious leader. His casket will travel from Tehran to Qom, and then it will move through the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala before a burial in his hometown, Mashhad, on Friday.
Monday’s large-scale gatherings occurred in extreme heat, and the government used water cannons to cool off attendants. Mourners in black gathered closely around a trailer with Khamenei’s casket, which was draped with the flag of Iran, as it slowly made its way through the streets.
While the carefully orchestrated ceremony is meant to showcase the strength of the Islamic Republic, the ongoing war shifted the tone of the proceedings. Many attendees sang “death to America” while waving red flags to symbolize revenge, while others held anti-U.S. and anti-Israel signs, including those with the words “Kill Trump.”
Anti-American sentiment has swelled even as the U.S. and Iran continue peace talks, after signing a memorandum of understanding last month. Negotiations are considered fragile as airstrikes continue throughout the region, including actions in the Strait of Hormuz and exchanges between Israel and Lebanon.
Senior Iranian officials attended the procession, as well as a number of foreign dignitaries. Notably absent, however, was Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. He has not appeared in public since his father’s death.
Three of the sons of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei—Meysam, Masoud, and Mostafa—pray next to the coffins of their family members during the second day of funeral ceremonies for their father, in Tehran, on July 5, 2026. —Iranian Leader Press Office—Handout via Anadolu/Getty ImagesPrayers were held over the Khamenei’s casket on the second day of funeral ceremonies in Tehran. —Iranian Leader Press Office—Handout via Anadolu/Getty ImagesMourners hold portraits of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the second day of his funeral ceremonies at the Grand Mosalla on July 5, 2026, in Tehran. —Majid Saeedi—Getty ImagesMourners gesture with raised fists as they gather to pay final respects to Khamenei. —Majid Saeedi—Getty ImagesIranians display a banner saying “Kill Trump” during the third day of funeral ceremonies for Khamenei on July 6, 2026, in Tehran. —Majid Saeedi—Getty ImagesHundreds of thousands of attendees gathered on July 6 to mourn Khamenei, who was killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on Feb. 28. —Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader—Handout via ReutersMourners gather around the coffin of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a ceremony ahead of his funeral in Tehran on July 3, 2026. —Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader—Handout via AFP/Getty ImagesIranians wave flags at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque during mass funeral prayers for Khamenei and his family in Tehran on July 5, 2026. —Morteza Nikoubazl—NurPhoto/Getty ImagesMasoud Khamenei (third from left), his Chief of Staff Mohammadi Golpayegani (left), Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (second from right), and Head of the Judiciary Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei (right) attend a funeral ceremony held for Iran’s former Supreme Leader. —Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader—Handout via Andalou/Getty ImagesLarge crowds gathered to participate in a funeral prayer on July 5, 2026. —Farhad Babaei—laif/ReduxA mourner rests next to an image of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei amid a funeral procession for his father on July 6, 2026. —Murad Sezer—ReutersMen hold a placard calling for revenge against the U.S. President as they gather to mourn Khamenei on July 5, 2026. —Ozan KOSE—AFP/Getty ImagesA vehicle carrying coffins of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family members makes its way through the streets of Tehran on July 6, 2026 —Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader—Handout via Reuters
