Millions Flood Tehran as Iran Holds Historic Funeral Procession for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iran on Monday held the largest and most significant procession of the six day state funeral for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , as the flag draped coffins of the 86 year old cleric and family members killed alongside him were carried through the capital on a specially decorated truck.

The main funeral procession began at 6 a.m. local time, following a 10 kilometre route from Imam Hossein Square to Azadi Square , with flower petals thrown on the coffins as they moved through the streets. The truck's sides were decorated to resemble the ornamental grating around an imam's shrine, and mourners reached out to touch it or threw scarves for attendants to brush against the coffin as a blessing. The coffins are being taken toward Mehrabad International Airport over a 12 hour journey .

Iranian officials said they expect between 15 and 20 million mourners to take part across the funeral events, which would make it the largest state funeral in Iran's history . Khamenei was killed on February 28 in a joint US-Israeli air strike that opened the war on Iran, along with several family members. His three other sons, Mostafa, Meysam and Masoud , have appeared at funeral prayers, but his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei , has not been seen publicly since being wounded in the same strike, with Iran's entire senior leadership attending events except him.

Thousands of mourners have carried red banners symbolising calls for revenge, chanting "death to America" and "revenge, revenge." Placards calling for the killing of the US president and the Israeli prime minister have been carried through Tehran's streets, reflecting anger over the war that killed thousands.

Processions are expected to move to Qom on July 7 , before Khamenei's body is transported to Najaf, Iraq , for a reception, and finally to Mashhad for burial at the Imam Reza shrine . Authorities have shut down Tehran's airspace, streets and daily life throughout the mourning period.

Meanwhile, indirect US-Iran talks in Doha over reopening the Strait of Hormuz , rolling back Iran's nuclear programme and ending the war remain paused until after the burial, though officials on both sides have described recent progress as encouraging. President Trump and Israeli PM Netanyahu are expected to discuss a new regional security arrangement once the funeral concludes.