TEHRAN — Millions of mourners have poured into the streets of Tehran as Iran continues a massive multi-day state funeral for the country’s slain Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in what Iranian officials say is among the largest public mourning events in the country’s modern history.
The funeral ceremonies, which began on July 3, have drawn crowds that filled major streets and public squares beyond their capacity, with state media reporting that millions of people have already taken part. Authorities expect total attendance in Tehran alone to reach around 20 million by the end of the commemorations, while further ceremonies in Qom, Mashhad and other cities are expected to attract millions more.
The funeral, originally planned for March, was postponed following the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Officials cited security concerns and the enormous logistical challenge of organizing such a large-scale event, while also seeking to avoid a repeat of the deadly crowd crush that occurred during the 2020 funeral of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
The ceremonies have also become one of the largest international diplomatic gatherings hosted by Iran in recent years.
According to Iranian officials, representatives from around 100 countries, along with religious scholars, political figures and grassroots organizations, are participating in the funeral. The Foreign Ministry said the gathering includes at least eight heads of state or government, more than a dozen parliamentary speakers, ministers, special envoys and senior officials from across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and parts of Europe.
Among the highest-ranking leaders attending are Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili and Iraqi President Nizar Amedi. Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government is represented by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, while senior officials from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq are also participating.
Major regional and global powers have also sent senior representatives. Russia is represented by former President Dmitry Medvedev as a special envoy, China by He Wei, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, Turkey by Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Saudi Arabia by Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji, and India by an official delegation that includes Bihar Governor Lt. Gen. Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita.
Parliamentary speakers and senior delegations have also arrived from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, Oman, Qatar, Uzbekistan and several other countries. Additional ministerial-level delegations are attending from nations including Burkina Faso, Kazakhstan, Nicaragua, Lebanon, Serbia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Cuba, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Iranian officials have described the international turnout as a demonstration of the country’s diplomatic relationships with neighboring states, Russia, China and countries across the Global South. At the same time, Western leaders have been largely absent from the ceremonies, with reports indicating that several countries either downgraded their representation or did not attend amid diplomatic pressure from the United States.
Non-state groups allied with Iran have also sent senior representatives, including officials from Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Yemen’s Houthis, alongside numerous religious figures from across the Shiite world.
The funeral has generated strong international reactions.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he was surprised by the scale of public mourning, claiming he had expected Iranians to dislike Khamenei and suggesting that “maybe they are fake tears.” Trump also said the United States had delayed negotiations with Iran during the funeral period, stating that Iran’s leadership was “not bad people” and that Washington had allowed time for the ceremonies before resuming diplomatic efforts.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Khamenei’s funeral procession was taking place because he had been “eliminated by Israel,” warning that future Iranian leaders who threaten Israel would face the same fate. He also criticized anti-American and anti-Israeli chants heard during the funeral.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu similarly dismissed the demonstrations, saying those participating did not represent the broader Iranian population and alleging that the crowds had been organized by the government.
The funeral remains ongoing. Following ceremonies in Tehran, Khamenei’s body is scheduled to be taken to the holy city of Qom before being transferred to Iraq for additional commemorations. It will then return to Iran for final funeral rites and burial in Mashhad at the shrine of Imam Ali al-Ridha, the eighth Imam revered by Shia Muslims.
With millions already participating and additional processions scheduled over the coming days, Iranian officials say the commemorations are expected to become one of the largest state funerals in modern history, both in terms of public participation and international representation.
