Khamenei’s casket on display in glass case as huge crowd gathers at start of Tehran funeral

Iranian authorities unveil the casket containing late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s body in a glass case at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran, Iran’s capital.

The caskets of his dead family members are beneath his, which has his black turban atop it.

Mourners in the huge crowd weep at the sight, with some chanting: “Our word is one! Revenge! Revenge!”

Some carry banners and flags. Crowds of men rhythmically beat their chests in mourning, a common practice at Shiite funerals.

Organizers spray water on the crowds and offered cold drinks to help those with the summertime heat.

Iran’s government expects to see millions flood the streets of the capital in scenes reminiscent of the burial of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.

Iranian authorities say they anticipate between 15 and 20 million participants in Tehran alone over the next three days. Six days of funeral ceremonies are planned to commemorate Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic from 1989 until his killing aged 86 on the first day of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28.

A large turnout for the dayslong funeral could provide a boost for Iran’s government, particularly as it tries to leverage its hold on the Strait of Hormuz in negotiations with the United States over a permanent end to the war.

The body of the martyred Leader of the Revolution and his martyred family were placed in the prayer hall of Tehran for the people to bid farewell. pic.twitter.com/1o6iqB9Dcb

— Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) July 4, 2026