Khamenei’s funeral draws millions on second day
Shafaq News- Tehran
The second day of funeral and farewell events for Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, began on Saturday at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mosalla*, drawing large crowds, Iranian media reported.
The Mosalla, the capital's main venue for major state and religious gatherings, opened before dawn as mourners filled the prayer hall, surrounding streets, and access roads. Participants sang Iran's national anthem and chanted slogans including “Death to America,” “Death to Israel,” and calls for “revenge,” while attendance numbered in the millions, with people arriving from across Iran and abroad to pay their final respects.
📹 لبیک یا خامنهای...طنین شعار «لبیک یا خامنهای» مردم ایران عزیز در مراسم وداع با «آقای شهید ایران» در مصلی امام خمینی(ره) تهران#انتقام_خون_رهبر_شهید pic.twitter.com/gxgVWHOKoo
— خبرگزاری تسنیم (@Tasnimnews_Fa) July 4, 2026
Tehran Metro has operated free of charge around the clock since Friday to facilitate access to the venue. The network's chief executive said the 24-hour service will remain in place until 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7.
🎥 تو علی بودی و از نام تو میترسیدندلحظاتی از روضهخوانی محمدرضا بذری در مراسم وداع با قائد شهید امت https://t.co/2YMEVv855u pic.twitter.com/Pwh7K42GTa
— خبرگزاری فارس (@FarsNews_Agency) July 4, 2026
Speaking during the ceremonies, Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi, a senior adviser to the late leader, said the public turnout reflected Iran's resilience, arguing that Khamenei's death, along with that of more than 4,000 Iranians, including over 200 military commanders and officials, would reinforce support for the Islamic Republic at home and across the wider Muslim world.
📹 مداحی محمدرضا بذری در مراسم وداع با امام شهید#انتقام_خون_رهبر_شهید pic.twitter.com/ZjgBo9PKbZ
— خبرگزاری تسنیم (@Tasnimnews_Fa) July 4, 2026
The ceremonies are part of Iran's official mourning period following Khamenei's death. State media indicated that commemorations began in Tehran at dawn on Friday and will continue for about a week, including ceremonies in Iraq on July 7, before Khamenei is buried in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad on July 9.
Mojtaba, the son and designated successor of Khamenei, was absent from the funeral ceremonies for a second consecutive day. His absence has intensified speculation over his condition after reports that he sustained serious injuries in the Feb. 28 strike that killed his father. Asked whether Mojtaba would attend the funeral, Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian, secretary of the national funeral committee, declined to confirm his participation, saying any decision would be made by the supreme leader's office in line with security arrangements.
*A mosalla is a large open prayer ground used for major religious gatherings and holiday prayers, distinct from a covered mosque.
