Khamenei Funeral Draws Tens of Thousands to Tehran
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- Tens of thousands of Iranians, draped in Islamic Republic flags and dressed in black, filled Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla on Saturday to view the coffin of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed on February 28 by the opening airstrikes of the US-Israeli war after 37 years as supreme leader.
- The Israeli strike that killed Khamenei also killed his daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law; their five flag-draped coffins, including a tiny one for a 14-month-old granddaughter, were displayed together on the funeral platform.
- Iran's military and security institutions vowed revenge for Khamenei's death, while mourners shouted "Death to America" and wailed Shi'ite invocations of Hussein after a compere urged the crowd through loudspeakers: "Let us wail!"
- Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader's son and announced successor, has not been seen in any new image since being wounded in the same strike that killed his father, leaving the succession visibly unsettled.
- Iranian authorities plan a multi-day procession ending with burial Thursday at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, with ceremonies in Qom, Najaf and Karbala, offering millions free transport, food and lodging to boost turnout.
- The war killed more than 3,000 people in Iran (per state media) and at least 13 U.S. troops; the U.S. and Iran signed an initial ceasefire agreement in June, though the article notes tit-for-tat attacks continue.
Why it matters: The funeral doubles as regime-organized unity theater while analysts cited say public support is paper-thin and Mojtaba remains unseen since the strike. The war empowered hardliners more willing than the late leader to strike; revenge vows from the military and IRGC leave escalation openly unsettled.
