TEHRAN: The six-day state funeral for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began today (Friday), with authorities describing it as the largest public gathering in the capital\u2019s history and framing the ceremonies as a demonstration of national unity and the Islamic Republic\u2019s resilience following the recent war with the United States and Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Acting Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani said the funeral would be \u201cthe largest assembly in the history of the capital,\u201d according to Iranian media, as officials prepared for millions of mourners and foreign dignitaries to attend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khamenei, who served as Iran\u2019s supreme leader for 37 years, was killed at the age of 86 in missile strikes on his residential and working compound in central Tehran on February 28, the opening day of the conflict between Iran and the US-Israel alliance. Several members of his family, including his daughter and two grandchildren, were also reportedly killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The funeral had originally been scheduled for early March but was postponed because of the war. Authorities announced the revised dates only after a fragile ceasefire between Tehran and Washington came into effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ali-Akbar Purdjamschidian, head of the organising committee, said the ceremonies were intended to \u201cstrengthen national cohesion and unity\u201d across Iran\u2019s political, religious and social spectrum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iranian authorities have launched a nationwide mobilisation effort ahead of the funeral in the country of around 93 million people. Three official days of mourning have been declared in Tehran, with businesses closed and work suspended as the capital prepares to receive visitors from across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khamenei is scheduled to be buried on July 9 in the northeastern city of Mashhad, his birthplace. A day earlier, a funeral procession is expected to pass through the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, a move widely viewed as a signal of Iran\u2019s continuing regional influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Political analysts say Khamenei leaves behind a deeply contested legacy after nearly four decades at the helm of the Islamic Republic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUnlike Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who ruled for a decade after the 1979 revolution, Khamenei led the country for 37 years with pronounced micromanagement, intervening in almost all areas of governance,\u201d said political scientist Mehrzad Boroujerdi of the Missouri University of Science and Technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During his tenure, Iran faced mounting international sanctions over its nuclear programme, worsening economic conditions and repeated waves of domestic unrest, including the 2009 Green Movement, the 2022 \u201cWoman, Life, Freedom\u201d protests and nationwide demonstrations in late 2025 and early 2026, all of which were suppressed by security forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKhamenei\u2019s approach was to make no concessions to his opponents, whether to regime critics or reformists within the system,\u201d Boroujerdi said, adding that the strategy widened the divide between the state and society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A women\u2019s rights activist in Tehran, speaking anonymously, said many government critics remained disappointed that the Islamic Republic had survived, while its supporters had emerged from the recent conflict with renewed confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The war also deepened economic hardship, with heavy bombardment damaging key industries, including petrochemical plants and steel mills, resulting in thousands of job losses and increasing frustration, particularly among younger Iranians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Analysts say Iran\u2019s regional strategy is likely to remain largely unchanged despite Khamenei\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hamidreza Azizi of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs said the prominence of Lebanon in Iran\u2019s recent memorandum of negotiations with the United States reflected continuity in Tehran\u2019s foreign policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHezbollah has drawn closer to Iran, particularly to the Quds Force, and is relying more heavily on Tehran both politically and militarily,\u201d Azizi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted, however, that divisions persist within Iran\u2019s leadership, particularly inside the Revolutionary Guards, over the prospect of further negotiations with Washington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For many attending the funeral, Boroujerdi said, the event is about more than mourning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTwo major military powers attacked Iran, and yet the Islamic Republic still stands,\u201d he said. \u201cFor many, that is proof of resilience.\u201d He added that even partial implementation of the recently agreed 14-point framework with the United States would mark a significant diplomatic achievement, particularly because it reportedly includes a US commitment not to interfere in Iran\u2019s internal affairs, a demand Washington had previously rejected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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