Iran begins dayslong funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Middle East Iran begins dayslong funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei July 4, 20261:04 AM ET By  The Associated Press A crowd attends the start of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, Iran, Saturday, July 4, 2026. Altaf Qadri/AP hide caption toggle caption Altaf Qadri/AP TEHRAN, Iran — Iran began a dayslong funeral Saturday for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, months after an airstrike killed him at the start of the war. He was 86. Middle East conflict What you need to know about the preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement signed by Trump Authorities unveiled the casket containing Khamenei's body in a glass case at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran, Iran's capital. Mourners wept at the sight, with some chanting: "Our word is one! Revenge! Revenge!" Some carried banners and flags, while billboards across the city bore Khamenei's image. Crowds of men rhythmically beat their chests in mourning, a common practice at Shiite funerals. "I am here to say goodbye to my beloved leader Ali Khamenei," said a weeping Hananeh Mousavi, 27, who attended the funeral alongside her mother. "I never expected to see such a day. I wish I had died before this tragedy." Sponsor Message Coffins sat on display at Grand Mosalla An outdoor stage set up at the Grand Mosalla resembled the stage where Khamenei once gave his speeches at a husseiniyah at his compound in downtown Tehran. That site was destroyed in the Israeli airstrike that killed Khamenei and some of his family at the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28. The caskets of his dead family members sat beneath his, which had his black turban atop it, identifying him as a direct descendent of the Prophet Muhammad. Iranian religious leaders and other mourners pay their respects before the coffins of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and members of his family during a viewing ceremony ahead of the dayslong funeral ceremonies at the Imam Khomeini Mosal...