Massive crowds gathered in Tehran for funeral ceremonies honoring Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US-Israeli strike on his compound on 28 February.
Iran entered the second day of funeral rites for Khamenei on Sunday, as the vast crowds braved a heatwave to pay their respects, reports Al Jazeera.
At Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Hall, water misters were set up and volunteers handed out cold drinks to ease conditions for mourners gathering to view his body.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said that “neither side will shoot the other during the funeral proceedings,” adding that negotiations with Iran would resume after the ceremonies.
Hundreds of thousands of mourners have already filled the streets of Tehran, with officials predicting that more than 10 million people will ultimately take part in a week of funeral ceremonies for Khamenei.
The capital has become the focal point of a historic farewell, as the days-long memorial transforms Tehran into a vast stage of grief and reverence.
On Saturday, crowds jammed major avenues and packed the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque, where the coffin of the 86‑year‑old leader was displayed.
Many mourners, dressed in black and carrying flags, came to pay their respects to Khamenei, who was killed in a US‑Israeli strike at the outset of the war on Iran in February.
The ceremonies also honour the bodies of several family members killed in the same attack, including his three‑year‑old granddaughter, adding a deeply personal dimension to the national mourning.
To accommodate the influx of pilgrims, authorities have opened more than 5,000 schools and tens of thousands of classrooms across the country, underscoring the supreme leader’s stature as a spiritual figure for Shia communities worldwide.
On Friday, delegations from over 100 countries attended ceremonies reserved for foreign dignitaries, highlighting the global significance of the transition in Tehran and the regional stakes tied to Khamenei’s death.
The funeral programme spans six days, beginning with successive ceremonies in Tehran through Monday, before moving to the holy city of Qom, then crossing into Iraq, and concluding in Mashhad, where Khamenei will be laid to rest.
On the other hand, Israeli forces continued operations in Lebanon and Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least one person in southern Lebanon and two Palestinians in northern Gaza City and the Jabalia refugee camp.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused Israel of undermining the recent memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, declaring that Türkiye “stands ready to support any effort to achieve peace in the region.”
