Thousands of Iranians have poured in to attend the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Officials expect a total attendance of 15 to 20 million people over several days as a show of the Islamic Republic's power and unity.
Iranian television reported that the official mourning ceremony began on Saturday, 4 July, at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran. Large numbers of people had arrived since the previous night to pay their last respects to the former Supreme Leader.
Many attendees carried red flags, symbolizing revenge, while shouting slogans such as "Death to America" and "Revenge," reflecting anti-U.S. sentiment and calls to retaliate against Iran's enemies.
The Iranian government estimates that around 15 to 20 million people will participate in the mourning ceremonies in Tehran alone over several days. The full schedule will last about six days before the body is taken to Mashhad, Khamenei's hometown, for burial on 9 July.
Before the burial day, the funeral procession will pass through Tehran, the holy city of Qom, and key Shiite cities in Iraq such as Najaf and Karbala.
Another globally watched issue is the appearance of Mojtaba Khamenei, son of Ali Khamenei, who was appointed the new Supreme Leader following his father's death.
However, he has yet to appear publicly, with only written statements released amid reports that he was injured in the same attack that killed his father. No official details about his condition have been disclosed.
Iranian authorities have intensified strict security measures to welcome foreign leaders, including closing multiple roads and restricting airspace. Safety guidelines have been issued to the public to prevent crowd crush incidents. Additionally, water trucks have been deployed to spray roads to lower temperatures, as Tehran faces extreme heat above 35 degrees Celsius during the ceremonies.