The coffins of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei and his family members are pictured at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran. Photo: AFP
The body of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was lying in state in a vast hall in Tehran on Friday as clerics, officials, foreign dignitaries and other mourners paid their respects after his 37-year rule.
Iran is staging a week of mass funeral processions for Khamenei — killed in February by United States and Israeli airstrikes at the start of a four-month war — in a show of public devotion to the Islamic Republic’s theocratic state and revolutionary fire.
Khamenei’s body was expected to be taken to Qom, Najaf and Kerbala, the great Shi’ite centres of Iran and Iraq, before being laid to rest on Thursday in Mashhad, home to the country’s holiest pilgrim shrine.
Critical moment for Islamic Republic
His coffin was unveiled late on Thursday to a throng of sobbing supporters, swaying and beating their heads in time to a sung lament as flowers were thrown from the bier into the crowd. On Friday the coffin — and those of family members killed with him — was laid in state in the great prayer hall built to honour his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
The funeral comes at a critical moment for Iran, where the clerical rulers backed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are riding high from surviving what they saw as an existential war against their greatest and most powerful foes.
But nearly five decades after the 1979 revolution, and for all the official proclamations of national unity in the run-up to Khamenei’s funeral, the Islamic Republic has rarely been so internally fractured.
Support for the clerical leadership is paper thin, analysts say, and the new Supreme Leader, Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei, has not been seen in public since being wounded in the strike that killed his father.
Years of crippling sanctions have paralysed the economy as accelerating bouts of mass nationwide protests have been put down by security forces with increasing force — culminating in the killing of thousands of demonstrators in January. Those deep problems have been brushed aside this week, with the authorities mounting a display of state power and mass support, mobilising what they hope will be millions of mourners to take part in the funeral.
A billboard depicting Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei at Valiasr Square in Tehran, Iran. Photo: Reuters
Tehran streets were tightly controlled, with military and police vehicles lining the major roads and police and members of the black-shirted volunteer Basij paramilitary force patrolling on motorbikes. Iran warned the US and Israel against any attacks during the funeral.
After the coffins arrived on Friday, borne high across the upraised hands of a waiting crowd, they were laid in the prayer hall on a white, stepped, dais before a high, intricately tiled, arched recess, flanked by national and black mourning flags. A black turban, worn by clerics claiming descent from Islam’s Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), lay on the coffin on a folded chequered scarf, a symbol in Iran of militant revolutionary ideals and solidarity with Palestinians.
Delegations, including from Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, home to the strongest proxies in Iran’s network of regional power, followed each other into the hall to stand before the coffins. Representatives from Russia and China were expected to attend.
Former Iraqi president Abdul Latif Rashid, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Pakistani Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi arrived in Tehran for the funeral. Families of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and senior commander Imad Mughniyeh, close Lebanese allies of Iran killed in Israeli strikes, attended the ceremony.
Sobbing crowds, funeral tour of Iran and Iraq
In Iran’s theocratic system, Khamenei was not only head of state and leader of a revolutionary movement, but the representative on earth for Shi’ite Islam’s 12th imam, who disappeared in the ninth century. His death in an enemy attack plays into a powerful Shi’ite tradition of martyrdom and mourning, in which processions of flagellants beat their chests or backs.
That potent symbolism has been evident in the black funeral flags hanging over city streets since his death referencing the seventh-century martyrdom of Shi’ism’s third imam, Hossein.
Read: Iran warns US, Israel against attacks ahead of funeral processions for Khamenei
In central Tehran overnight, a crowd stood sobbing and chanting, led by a Basij member, as others handed out posters of the late Khamenei. “God willing, only by avenging his blood, demanding justice for it, and ensuring that our leader’s blood is not left unavenged, can this sorrow of the people be somewhat alleviated,” said Mobina Razaaghi, an 18-year-old student from Isfahan, attending the funeral events with classmates.
As Khamenei’s coffin was displayed overnight, the crowd chanted “O Hossein” in memory of the third imam, whose killing by a Sunni Muslim ruler at Karbala in Iraq is a wellspring of Shi’ite devotion and a spur to Iranian revolutionary rhetoric.
Killed alongside Khamenei, and displayed in coffins next to his, were his daughter, son-in-law and baby granddaughter, as well as the wife of his son Mojtaba — a conscious echo of the deaths of Hossein’s family and companions.
Burial postponed due to war
Burials are meant to be conducted within a day of death in Islam, but because of the risks of holding a big funeral during the war it was postponed until after last month’s interim truce deal was agreed.
Hotels are offering 50% discounts, schools, mosques and sports halls have been prepared to house mourners, and bus and rail networks are being diverted to serve the main events.
After what authorities are billing as a massive procession in central Tehran on Monday, the remains will be taken to the seminary city of Qom, the centre of Iran’s Shi’ite hierarchy, for ceremonies on Tuesday. Ceremonies will then be held in Iraq’s shrine cities of Najaf and Kerbala on Wednesday with prominent attendees from Iran’s regional network of Shi’ite proxies.
He will be buried on Thursday, after another procession, in Mashhad near the tomb of the Imam Reza, a figure of great devotion in Iran.
Ghalibaf warns Iran will resume action if US, Israel fail to honour commitments
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on Friday that if the US and Israel do not fulfil their commitments to end the war, then Tehran will respond.
“We strongly demand full implementation of the agreements, and if the US and the Zionist regime fail to fulfil their commitments, Iran will resume proportionate actions,” Ghalibaf said, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency. Ghalibaf, who also heads the country’s negotiating team in talks with the US, added Washington cannot militarily confront Iran and said Israel’s threats are “baseless propaganda”.
“The United States and the Zionist regime did not achieve any of their goals in the Ramadan War, and today everyone has come to the conclusion that the military action against Iran has failed and, ultimately, they requested a ceasefire themselves,” he said.
Separately, speaking to the speaker of the Iraqi parliament, Ghalibaf stated that important matters have been signed in the recent agreement with America regarding the management of the Strait of Hormuz. The matters, according to ISNA, are “based on international laws.”
Ghalibaf stated that the administration of the Strait of Hormuz must be carried out between the two coastal countries, Iran and Oman, ISNA reported.
Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf with the speaker of the Iraqi parliament on July 3, 2026. PHOTO: ISNA
Ghalibaf stated, according to ISNA, “We will not allow any kind of interference by America in the Strait of Hormuz.” He added, “In the trip a few days ago to Oman, based on Article Five of the memorandum of understanding, we agreed with each other to organise the manner of regulating traffic in the Strait of Hormuz; we are determined in this regard.”
The news agency reported that the speaker stated, “The Israelis are undoubtedly seeking to disrupt the Iran-America memorandum of understanding.”
Iraqi president arrives in Tehran
Iraqi President Nizar Amidi arrived in Tehran to participate in the ceremony paying respects to the martyred leader Ayatollah Khamenei, IRIB posted on X.
The Iraqi delegation also paid their respects to the martyred leader, IRNA News Agency reported.
PM Shehbaz, CDF Munir arrive in Tehran
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Iran on Friday for a one-day visit to attend the funeral of the late supreme leader, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) wrote on X.
In an earlier post, the PMO said the prime minister was accompanied by Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PPP Secretary General Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with Iranian Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni, July 3, 2026. PHOTO: PMO/X
PM Shehbaz is scheduled to depart from Tehran for Istanbul later for a bilateral visit to Turkey, the PMO said on X.
Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir also arrived in Tehran to attend the funeral prayers, Iranian state media reported.
Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir arrives in Tehran on July 3, 2026
Pezeshkian holds meetings with Tajik, Armenian leaders
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held separate meetings with the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, the president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the prime minister of Armenia, and the national leader of Turkmenistan, who traveled to Tehran to participate in the funeral ceremony of the slain supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, ISNA reported on Friday.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian held meetings with the President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, the president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the prime minister of Armenia, and the national leader of Turkmenistan on July 3, 2026. PHOTO: ISNA
Heads of branches pay tribute
The heads of the branches of the Iranian government paid tribute to the slain supreme leader, along with his slain family members, ISNA news agency reported.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Ejei and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf attend farewell ceremony for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iran, July 3, 2026. PHOTO: REUTERS
Iran’s acting defence minister says Tehran has ‘no trust’ in US
Iran’s Acting Minister of Defence Seyyed Majid Ibn Reza has said that Tehran does not trust the United States despite signing a memorandum of understanding aimed at restoring regional stability, Press TV reported.
He said the agreement with Washington was reached to support regional peace efforts and followed requests from friendly neighbouring countries.
“However, given the United States’ long history of failing to honor its commitments, Iran has no trust in the other party,” he said, adding, “Iran’s armed forces remain on full alert and will respond proportionately to any violation of the agreement.”
Senate chairman arrives in Tehran to attend Khamenei’s funeral
Senate Chairman Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani arrived in Tehran with a high-level delegation to attend the funeral prayers and burial, according to PTV, which shared the update on X.
Iranian officials welcomed the Pakistani delegation upon its arrival in Tehran.
Speaking to the media, Gilani described Ayatollah Khamenei as an influential and respected figure in the Islamic world. He said Pakistan and Iran share longstanding historical, religious, cultural and brotherly ties.
Gilani added that Pakistan would reiterate its commitment to further strengthening bilateral relations with Iran during the visit, PTV said on X.
Israel planned to assassinate Iranian negotiators, Washington Post reports
Senior US officials feared that Israel intended to assassinate Iran’s top negotiators while the Trump administration was pursuing a high-stakes diplomatic effort to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, The Washington Post reported on X, citing current and former US officials familiar with the matter.
Iranian lawmaker calls for review of nuclear doctrine after Israeli threat
An Iranian lawmaker called on Tehran to reconsider its nuclear doctrine following an Israeli threat to assassinate Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission, said in a post on X that recent remarks by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz constituted “a valid and compelling reason” to review Iran’s nuclear doctrine.
Rezaei also referred to Article Eight of the Islamabad Accord, saying the latest developments warranted a reassessment of the provision, though he did not elaborate on what changes such a review might entail.
His comments come amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel, with officials on both sides continuing to exchange sharp rhetoric.
Israeli soldier injured in southern Lebanon clashes, army says
An Israeli reserve soldier was severely injured during clashes in southern Lebanon, the army said on Friday. In a statement, the military said the incident occurred on Thursday during “a close-quarters encounter” in southern Lebanon, without providing further details.
Last week, Beirut and Tel Aviv signed a US-sponsored framework agreement aimed at facilitating a phased Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and reducing hostilities along the border.
Read more: US won’t resume military action in Iran unless necessary: VP JD Vance
However, Israel has decided to postpone its withdrawal from two pilot areas in southern Lebanon, citing an alleged need to “wait until a joint monitoring mechanism is established with Beirut.”
Since March 2, Israel has been conducting a military offensive in Lebanon that has killed at least 4,298 people, injured 12,196 others, and displaced over 1 million people, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Former US-Iran negotiator urges Washington to accelerate Tehran talks
A former US-Iran negotiator has urged Washington to move swiftly to sustain momentum in negotiations with Tehran after the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei concludes, Al Jazeera reported.
Alan Eyre, a distinguished diplomatic fellow at the Middle East Institute, said the current pace of negotiations has been too slow, calling for more frequent and longer rounds of talks.
“This is a pretty desultory process so far. I understand they have to take time off for the funeral of Ayatollah Khamenei, but after that is over, I hope that the US side really picks up the pace,” Eyre said.
Trump says Iran has agreed to ‘just about everything we need’ in talks
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that negotiations with Iran are progressing, adding that he believes Tehran has agreed to nearly all of Washington’s key demands. “We’re negotiating …I think they’ve agreed to just about everything we need,” Trump said in an interview with CNBC.
Trump reiterated that the US is not seeking regime change in Iran, saying Washington’s objective remains preventing Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. “We’re not looking for regime change. I’m looking for something very simple: they cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he said.
Trump also defended recent US military action against Iran, saying the country had been “totally defeated militarily”.
“I’ve defeated them militarily. They’re totally defeated militarily. They have some missiles left, we could wipe them out too, and I hit them three times last week very hard because they sent a drone into a ship,” he said.
Qatari and Pakistani mediators said Thursday that the next round of US-Iran talks would be held “at the earliest possible time,” after the funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
