Tehran religious complex receives Khamenei's body for funeral

The body of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has arrived at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla ahead of his state funeral. Millions of mourners and senior leaders from different countries are expected to attend the official funeral ceremony.

Images released by Iranian media showed mourners carrying Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s coffin, draped in Iran’s national flag, into the Grand Mosalla, one of the country’s most important religious and ceremonial venues. Large crowds dressed in black gathered for the pre-funeral ceremony, while the venue was decorated with red flowers and white butterflies.

Senior Iranian military officials also attended the ceremony. Revolutionary Guards commander Ahmad Vahidi made his first public appearance since the beginning of the conflict and paid his respects at the coffin.

The funeral preparations come as Iran and the United States continue to observe a fragile ceasefire following a preliminary agreement aimed at ending the recent conflict. Pakistan has confirmed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the funeral ceremony. Representatives from China, Afghanistan and several neighbouring countries in the Caucasus region are also expected to participate.

Workers spent the final hours preparing the Grand Mosalla for the funeral, while security was tightened around the area. Roads were closely monitored, and officials said people from across Iran are expected to arrive in huge numbers.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf urged the public to attend the funeral in large numbers, calling it one of the most important moments in the country’s history. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died at the age of 86, will lie in state at the Grand Mosalla for three days. The bodies of his relatives, who were also killed, will remain alongside his coffin during the ceremonies.

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Officials estimate that between 15 million and 20 million people could attend the funeral, making it the largest state funeral in Iran’s history.

Public holidays have been announced in Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad during the funeral period. Authorities have also ordered the temporary closure of government and private offices in Tehran, imposed traffic restrictions, and announced partial airspace closures to manage the large gatherings.

After the ceremonies in Tehran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s body will be taken to the holy Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala before being buried on July 9 at the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, his birthplace.

It remains unclear whether Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will attend the main funeral ceremony in Tehran. Officials expect representatives from around 30 countries, along with thousands of mourners from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other neighbouring countries, to participate.