Representatives from Hezbollah and Hamas traveled to Tehran, the capital of Iran, to attend the funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iranian media reported that representatives from Tehran-backed armed groups, including Lebanon's Hezbollah and Gaza's Hamas, arrived to participate in the six-day funeral ceremony for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, starting Saturday, 4 July 2026.
For many years, Tehran's government has supported Palestinian Hamas, Lebanese Hezbollah, and Yemen's Houthi rebels—all designated as terrorist organizations by the United States and other Western countries—resulting in Iran facing international sanctions.
Iran refers to its network of allied groups opposing Israel, including armed factions in Iraq, as the “Axis of Resistance.”
Hezbollah told Lebanese media that their delegation to Tehran was led by senior official and former minister Mohammed Fneish, including officials as well as families of members who were killed or injured.
Meanwhile, Hamas stated in a release that their delegation was led by Mohammed Darwish, the group's political chief, and included other political members such as Bassem Naeem.
In July 2024, Ismail Haniyeh, then Hamas's political leader, was assassinated at his residence in Tehran in an Israeli operation shortly after attending the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Iranian television reported that attendees at Saturday's Tehran ceremony also included Palestinian armed group leader and Hamas ally Ziad al-Nakhala, as well as Daif Allah al-Shami, a senior Houthi member.
Foreign officials and dignitaries mostly paid their respects to Ali Khamenei on Friday. Khamenei had ruled Iran since 1989 and was killed at age 86 along with family members and senior officials in a U.S. and Israeli attack on 28 February 2026, sparking conflict in the Middle East.
On Saturday, 4 July, large crowds gathered at the Grand Mosalla, the world's largest mosque in Tehran, to mourn and bid farewell to the late Supreme Leader, who held absolute authority over key state policies during his tenure.
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Source:cna