The streets of Tehran were filled with mourners on Sunday, July 5, 2026, as Iran paid its final respects to the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The funeral ceremonies, held at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque, drew hundreds of thousands of people, including top Iranian officials who had been in hiding since the war’s outbreak on February 28.
The war, which began with airstrikes that killed Khamenei and other officials, has left Iran in a state of mourning and a desire for retribution. The new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, remains unseen, reportedly wounded in the airstrike that took his father’s life. Israel has threatened to target him as well, adding to the tension in the region.
Public Appearances Signal New Confidence
For the first time since the war began, key Iranian figures appeared publicly at the funeral. Khamenei’s sons, Masoud, Meysam, and Mostafa, who had been in hiding, were seen in the crowd. Revolutionary Guard head Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who had only been photographed once since the war, also made an appearance, flanked by security forces.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, and Esmail Qaani, leader of the Guard’s expeditionary Quds Force, were also present. Their public appearances signaled a newfound confidence in their safety, despite the ongoing threats from Israel.
Calls for Revenge Echo Through the Crowds
The funeral ceremonies were marked by prayers led by Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani and calls for revenge against U.S. President Donald trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Posters and graffiti at the Grand Mosalla called for their deaths, with mourners chanting Death to America! and Death to Israel!.
Mohammad Rasouli, a poet who emceed the event, asked the crowd, Why is the most bastard man in the world still alive? referring to Trump. The question drew cheers from the crowd, marking the first direct threat to Trump’s life by an official during the funeral. Trump, meanwhile, was giving a speech in Washington, D.C., celebrating the U.S. military’s success in the region.
Mourners Demand Retribution
Gholamreza Sabooni, a 29-year-old man who works in a grocery, said, I came here to shout and seek revenge. They killed our imam, we should kill their leader, Trump. The calls for revenge were echoed by other mourners, who carried banners and flags honoring Khamenei and demanding Trump’s death.
U.S. federal authorities have been tracking Iranian threats against Trump and other administration officials for years. The threats stem from Trump ordering the 2026 killing of Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who had led the Quds Force. Iran has repeatedly denied plotting to kill Trump, though hard-line propaganda footage has suggested otherwise.
Funeral Ceremonies and the Path Forward
Khamenei’s body will be transported to cities in Iran and neighboring Iraq, with authorities planning to drive his casket through the streets of Tehran on Monday. The mourning period will end on Thursday, with Khamenei being buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his place of birth.
For now, talks over reaching a permanent end to the war are on hold until the end of the funeral. The large turnout at the funeral could prove important as Iran tries to leverage its hold on the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations. Concern lingers that Israel could attack again, and mourners have expressed the need for a strong response.
Mohammad Reza Sharifi, a mourner, said, Our foreign policy should not be shaped in a way that allows our martyred leader’s blood to be dishonored and other countries can afford to do such things, without any serious response from our government and diplomatic system.
