Published : 05 Jul 2026, 01:08 PM
Millions have reportedly gathered in Tehran on the second day of a mass funeral event for Iran's former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
People have gathered at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla mosque complex since early on Sunday morning. Three funeral prayers were held at the location for Khamenei and his family members.
The state-run Tasnim News Agency wrote that all the gates of the mosque complex were closed a few hours before the funeral due to lack of space.
The roads and paths surrounding the mosque were also filled to the brim with Iranians flocking to the capital to bid farewell and offer prayers to the departed, Tasnim said.
Iranian media outlet Pars Today wrote that three prayers were held in three stages in the presence of millions of mourners and tearful fans. The prayers began at 8am local time (10:30am Bangladesh time).
In the first stage, prayers were offered for Ayatollah Khamenei. Then funeral prayers were said for his daughter Seyedeh Boshra Hosseini Khamenei, son-in-law Mesbah al-Hoda, and daughter-in-law (and wife of the current supreme leader's wife) Zahra Haddad Adel.
In the last stage, prayers were held for Khamenei's 14-month-old granddaughter (Boshra's daughter), Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani.
The funeral prayers were led by Ayatollah Sheikh Jafar Subhani.
Tasnim News wrote that Khamenei's sons Hujjatul Islam Seyed Mustafa, Seyed Massoud and Seyed Meysam Khamenei, and the brothers of the late supreme leader attended the funeral. In addition, senior political and military officials were also present.
However, state media did not clarify whether Khamenei's other son, the current supreme leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei, was at the funeral.
On Feb 28, Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his family members were killed at their residence at the start of a joint US-Israeli attack.
Khamenei's funeral ceremonies began on Saturday morning local time in Mosalla. Khamenei's coffin was brought to the location wrapped in the Iranian flag. His iconic black turban was placed on top of the coffin.
The mourning ceremony will continue for six days in five cities across Iran and Iraq, with the main mourning procession to be held in Tehran on Monday. During this time, Khameini’s body will be carried alongside that of his family.
After the mourning procession, the late leader's body will be taken to Qom, the main centre of Iran's Shia religious leadership and its city of religious education, where a funeral and mourning ceremony will be held on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, Khamenei's coffin will be taken to neighbouring Iraq for funeral processions and prayers in the cities of Najaf and Karbala. Top leaders of Iran-associated and allied Shia groups will be present for the occasion.
Khamenei will be buried at the shrine of Imam Reza on Thursday in the Iranian city of Mashhad, after another procession.
The funeral was planned for March, but was postponed due to the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.