According to official plans, Iran is kicking off the funeral for its late former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, starting today. Streets and squares in the capital, Tehran, are decked out with multilingual banners, and a giant clenched-fist statue alongside ballistic missile installations have been set up at Azadi Square.
The funeral had been postponed multiple times due to the ongoing war between Iran and the US and Israel. Just as a US-Iran memorandum was nearing completion in early June, the Iranian side finally released the funeral arrangements for Khamenei.
The state funeral will be held in phases across three cities: Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad. His body will ultimately be laid to rest in the Imam Reza Shrine in his hometown of Mashhad.
During the funeral procession in Tehran on the 6th, an estimated 15 to 20 million people are expected to bid him farewell. Other memorial and farewell events will be held in various locations over time.
Before the funeral officially began, about 100 countries sent official delegations, public groups, or prominent figures to attend the farewell ceremony for Khamenei. This includes at least 8 heads of state (presidents or prime ministers), speakers of parliament from 12 countries, and foreign ministers, ministerial-level officials, or special envoys from several others.
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Baghaei revealed that official delegations, lawmakers, and civilians from Eastern European countries also attended. However, European nations that publicly supported Israeli and American military actions against Iran were not invited.
According to reports, from July 2nd to 3rd, He Wei, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People’s Congress, represented China at Khamenei’s funeral in Tehran.
Iranian President Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Qalibaf each met with He Wei. He Wei expressed China’s deep condolences over the tragic passing of Supreme Leader Khamenei, offered sincere sympathies to the Iranian government, its people, and Khamenei’s family, and expressed hope that under the leadership of the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba, Iran would quickly restore security, stability, and development.
Just before the funeral, Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ahmad Vahidi, who was rumored to have been killed in an attack, appeared in Tehran on the evening of the 2nd. In US-Iran negotiations, Vahidi is a key figure representing the hardline stance. He is believed to have direct access to the current Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli “decapitation” strike on the morning of February 28th this year, at the age of 87. At least 7 missiles hit areas near the presidential palace and Khamenei’s residence in Tehran that day. His daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and a daughter-in-law were among the four family members who also died in the attack.
Mojtaba Khamenei was also injured in the strike and hasn’t been seen in public since his appointment. There’s huge speculation about whether he will attend his father’s funeral. Israel has openly listed him as a target and previously threatened to assassinate him during his father’s state funeral.
All public and private institutions in Tehran are shut down. The city’s central core is under traffic control, with private cars banned. Tehran’s airspace was partially closed last Friday and completely shut down on Monday, with heavy security deployed across the city.
The elder Khamenei was born in the holy city of Mashhad, with his ancestors being an Azerbaijani family from Iraq. Starting in 1962, he followed religious leader Khomeini, joining the movement to overthrow the pro-US Pahlavi dynasty, which lasted until the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran in 1979. During his revolutionary years, Khamenei was arrested six times by the secret police and exiled to remote areas.
Khamenei dedicated his life to upholding the theory of “Velayat-e Faqih” (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist) put forward by his mentor Khomeini. This theory established a solid framework of theocratic governance for the new Iranian state, while also emphasizing deep religious intervention in social life.
Compounded by escalating Western sanctions and rising inflation, protests have flared up across Iran for years. Khamenei blamed external hostile forces for inciting domestic unrest and refused to make concessions on some livelihood issues.
Starting in December 2025, massive riots erupted inside Iran. The US and Israel judged that Iran was at its weakest point. According to US officials, the briefing Trump received just before the US military strike on Iran emphasized that overthrowing the Iranian regime at this time could push the Middle East’s geopolitical landscape in a direction favorable to US interests.
Facing external military threats, Khamenei relied on bunkers for security for years, communicating with the outside world only through messengers. Arab media frequently reported that Khamenei was rushed to the hospital due to a worsening of his prostate cancer, even spreading rumors of him being “critically ill” or “already dead.”
Israeli and US intelligence agencies, using their infiltration of Iran and advanced technology, managed to track Khamenei’s precise location, preparing to strike at any moment. Faced with the deceptive lure of negotiations from the US, the ever-wary Khamenei accidentally revealed his whereabouts.
