New Delhi

Unprecedented scenes of wailing and mourning were witnessed at the funeral prayers for former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque complex in Tehran, where millions of mourners gathered to bid their leader farewell.

It was a public holiday across Iran, where the government has ordered a week-long national mourning and condolence ceremonies.

Ali Khamenei, 86, was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28. He remained the un-elected Supreme Leader of Iran from 1989 to February 28, 2026, and for nearly 37 years, the country's political, military, and religious leadership was in his hands.

His three sons, Mustafa Khamenei, Maytham Khamenei and Massoud Khamenei, attended the funeral prayer.

Mehdi Rasooli (eulogist) at the Tehran prayer hall:

“We have not come to bury our leader, we have come to avenge him. Oh, avengers of the martyred leader."

Approximately 30 million people are expected to attend in total. Since they can’t fit all in one place, people come to pay… https://t.co/NY2Qla6xT9 pic.twitter.com/1UgELj8iDQ

— Arya Yadeghaar (Backup) (@AryJeayBackup) July 4, 2026

The funeral prayer was led by Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani at the Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran, and attended by President Masoud Peshkeshian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Revolutionary Guards Chief Ahmad Vahidi, and Quds Force Commander Esmail Qaani.

The funeral prayers at the Grand Mosque Complex were led by Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, a 97-year-old prominent Shia scholar who teaches at prominent religious centers in the Iranian city of Qom. T

According to officials, the two-day funeral was attended by government and diplomatic delegations from more than 100 countries around the world, including India.

🇮🇷 Mourners gather in Tehran for funeral prayers of former Iranian leader Ali Khamenei

Iran's late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed alongside four family members in a US-Israeli airstrike on February 28. pic.twitter.com/wjcOQhAwRT

— Sputnik India (@Sputnik_India) July 5, 2026

After Ali Khamenei's death, his son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was named the new Supreme Leader, but he did not attend any public events, including the funeral prayers. According to Iranian sources, he was also injured in the attack on his father and has not appeared in public yet.

After the funeral prayer, Ali Khamenei's coffin, draped in the Iranian national flag and topped with his black turban, was placed in a glass enclosure for public viewing.

He was accompanied by the coffins of other members of his family, including his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and 14-month-old granddaughter, who also lost their lives in the same attack.

According to authorities, the body will be moved from the Grand Mosque in the evening so that a main funeral procession can be held in Tehran on Monday.

Iranian leaders at Ali Khamenei's funeral prayer

Ali Khamenei's body will be taken from Tehran to the holy city of Qom, where the public will pay their last respects and thereafter to Iraq to be visited at holy sites, and finally to Mashhad for burial.

he Grand Mosque complex and the surrounding roads were filled with millions of mourners since Sunday morning. Despite the scorching heat and temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, people attended the funeral carrying Iranian flags, pictures of Khamenei and religious banners. The administration made special arrangements for water and cold drinks for the participants, while women dressed in black veils and used umbrellas and shades to protect themselves from the sun.

Chest-beating, wailing and weeping continued in the courtyard of the Grand Mosque. Speakers on loudspeakers urged unity and patience.

The mourners also raised slogans of revenge against the USA.

Mourners carried Iranian flags, pictures of the martyred leader, and handwritten messages expressing their love, devotion, and determination for the slain leader.

🚨🇮🇷 तेहरान के ग्रैंड मोसल्ला में उमड़ा जनसैलाब, अयातुल्ला अली ख़ामेनेई को अंतिम विदाई

📹 सामने आए वीडियो में तेहरान के ग्रैंड मोसल्ला में दिवंगत अयातुल्ला सैय्यद अली ख़ामेनेई को अंतिम विदाई देने के लिए उमड़ी भारी भीड़ दिखाई दे रही है।#Iran #Tehran #AliKhamenei pic.twitter.com/6ziZs87pmS

— Madhurendra kumar मधुरेन्द्र कुमार (@Madhurendra13) July 5, 2026

Many people wrote their feelings on banners. Some pledged to follow the path of the martyred leader until their last breath, while one woman held a message with her baby girl that referenced the martyrdom of Khamenei's 14-month-old granddaughter.

ALSO READ: Rani Khanam broke barriers to become India's top Muslim Kathak dancer

According to Iranian officials, more than 3,000 people were killed in the recent war, including senior military officers, political leaders and civilians. Numerous military installations, infrastructure and important government centres were also severely damaged, causing billions of dollars in economic losses. Iran claims that it retaliated by targeting US military bases in the region, strengthening its grip on the Strait of Hormuz and maintaining effective pressure at the regional level, which also affected the global energy market.