Emotional scenes unfolded in Tehran as Iran's senior leadership gathered to pay their final respects to the country's late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf visibly overcome during the farewell ceremony.
Ghalibaf, seen with folded hands in prayer, was moved to tears as mourners assembled at Tehran's Grand Mosalla religious complex, where Khamenei's coffin, draped in the colours of the Islamic Republic, was placed for public homage. Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who has led Iran's negotiations with the United States, was also present alongside other senior officials and appeared emotional during the ceremony.
The funeral marks the beginning of a week-long series of ceremonies for Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic for nearly 36 years before he was killed in a joint US-Israeli strike on February 28, according to Iranian authorities and multiple international news organisations.
Addressing mourners on Friday, Ghalibaf urged Iranians to participate in large numbers, describing the funeral ceremonies as a demonstration of national resolve.
He said the country's call for revenge should be heard around the world. Iranian authorities expect between 15 million and 20 million people to participate in the six-day funeral programme, prompting heightened security measures across the country, particularly in and around Tehran.
The funeral ceremonies have been presented by Iranian leaders as both a national tribute and a display of unity following Khamenei's death during the conflict earlier this year.
WATCH: Iran’s Ghalibaf cries during the farewell ceremony of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. pic.twitter.com/3G1i7Fowxl
— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 3, 2026
A funeral procession is scheduled to move through the streets of Tehran before continuing to the holy city of Qom, about 140 kilometres southwest of the capital. Qom is regarded as Iran's foremost centre of Shia Islamic scholarship.
On July 9, the procession will conclude in Mashhad, Khamenei's hometown, where he is to be buried at the Imam Reza shrine. Memorial events are also planned in the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, reflecting the regional significance of the late Iranian leader among Shia communities.
The funeral is expected to draw millions of mourners and several foreign delegations, making it one of the largest public events held in Iran in recent decades.
