Tehran holds mass funeral procession for slain Supreme Leader amid vows of revenge

The funeral procession for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and four family members took place in Tehran on Monday, authorities announced, drawing millions along a 10km route and underscoring calls for retaliation after the air strikes that killed them; officials said the events continued this week with planned commemorations in Qom, Najaf, Karbala and a final burial in Mashhad.

The procession featured a flatbed truck carrying five coffins draped in Iran’s flag, including one for Khamenei’s 14-month-old granddaughter Zara, all of whom officials said were killed by Israeli-American air strikes on 28 February.

Aerial images showed major arteries packed with mourners chanting slogans such as “death to America” and “death to Israel,” and crowds marked the ceremonies with red and black flags symbolising blood and martyrdom.

President Masoud Pezeshkian defended the authenticity of public mourning, rejecting claims by former US President Donald Trump that the tears were staged, while government messaging urged supporters to chant phrases promising inevitable and harsh revenge.

Despite the large turnout, some Iranians stayed away, citing economic hardship, recent protests and anger over the security crackdown; a government source acknowledged real anger among hardliners opposing a new deal with the United States that they say played a role in the leader’s death.

The funeral stop in Tehran was followed by planned rites at Shia holy sites in Qom and in Iraqi cities Najaf and Karbala, with burial scheduled at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, Khamenei’s birthplace and one of Iran’s holiest sites.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, named as the new Supreme Leader, has not appeared publicly since the air strikes, and his absence was noted during open-air ceremonies where his brothers appeared; officials said he remains a potential target of further threats from Israel.

Organisers amplified symbolism, including a newly erected colossal clenched-fist statue at Revolution Square intended to convey defiance, and officials and attendees urged foreign journalists and visiting influencers to report the events as they saw them.

Authorities emphasised the ceremonies’ intent to portray Khamenei as both a national and transnational religious figure, while critics argued his legacy belonged to a past era; the procession closed a three-day public mourning period as Iran moves into a new political phase.