Millions across the country have gathered over the past three days to honour the late Supreme Leader after his death in a U.S.–Israeli strike on the opening day of the war.
The body of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has reached the holy city of Qom ahead of the scheduled procession on Tuesday, as reported by state television.
State TV broadcast footage of a helicopter carrying Khamenei’s body landing in Qom, south of the capital Tehran.
Earlier, large crowds filled the streets of Tehran for the third consecutive day on the funeral procession.
A truck transporting Khamenei’s body and those of four family members killed in the February 28 strike made its way into Azadi Square in western Tehran.
State TV showed crowds moving along major boulevards, with a reported turnout of millions, comparable to the large funeral of Khamenei’s predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, in 1989.
Clad in black, mourners scattered petals onto the coffins, including the small casket of Khamenei’s granddaughter, who was only 14 months old when she was killed, according to state media.
“The United States and Israel sought to divide Iran, but our leader thwarted that division,” a man who identified himself as Hamid told Al Jazeera. “Iranians are here to appreciate what he has done for Iran.”
Another mourner, Marzieh, said she attended to honour Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly 40 years. “We came here to assure our martyred leader that his blood is not wasted. We came here to reaffirm our allegiance to him,” she added.
Mojtaba Absent
There has been no sign of Khamenei’s successor and son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since his appointment a week after his father’s death.
Mohammad Eslami, a research fellow at Tehran University, said he could not attend his father’s funeral because “the war is not over.” He added, “There is a fragile ceasefire between Iran, the United States, and Israel. They are discussing very hard negotiations, and with the security arrangements in place, Mojtaba has no opportunity to appear in public.”
The ceremonies will culminate on Thursday with Khamenei’s burial in Mashhad, his hometown in northeastern Iran.
The head of emergency services эрх Jafar Miadfar informed state news agency IRNA that “more than 34,000 participants received medical treatment and emergency services,” with no fatalities.
A Clear Message
President Masoud Pezeshkian, present among mourners, wrote on X that “today we will continue the path of Iran’s honour, progress and glory.”
Other VIPs attended, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and the head of the Quds Force, Esmail Qaani.
State TV also shown the head of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, making his first public appearance after the previous holder, Ali Larijani, was killed in an air strike in March.
He remarked, “The presence of millions with red flags and slogans demanding bloodshed is a clear message from the Iranian nation to its enemies.”
Former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was also present, a figure who had been at odds with Khamenei toward the end of his tenure and had not appeared publicly since the war began.