Crowds at Khamenei funeral chant for revenge on U.S., Israel

By the Editorial Team · Monday, July 6, 2026

Funeral ceremonies for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began in Tehran, attracting hundreds of thousands of mourners and top Iranian leaders amid calls for retaliation against the U.S. and Israel following his death in a February airstrike. The events have temporarily paused diplomatic efforts to resolve regional tensions, including negotiations over the crucial Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear program.

Funeral ceremonies for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s former supreme leader, began Sunday, drawing hundreds of thousands of mourners and prominent Iranian figures amid calls for revenge against the United States and Israel. Khamenei, 86, was killed in a February 28 airstrike that also claimed the lives of other senior Iranian officials. The attack has intensified tensions in the region and affected ongoing efforts to secure a permanent end to the conflict between Iran and its adversaries.

The funeral prayers were held at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran, led by Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, a respected Shiite cleric. Khamenei’s sons—Masoud, Meysam, and Mostafa—appeared publicly for the first time since the outbreak of the war, alongside top officials including Revolutionary Guard commander General Ahmad Vahidi, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, and Esmail Qaani, leader of the elite Quds Force. The presence of these figures signaled a show of resilience within the Iranian leadership.

Crowds dressed in black carried banners and flags honoring Khamenei while chanting slogans such as “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” Calls for retaliation focused on the U.S. and Israeli governments, with some demonstrators urging assassination of U.S. President Donald Trump. Poetry and speeches at the event questioned why Trump remained alive, reflecting deep animosity stemming from his administration’s actions, including the 2020 killing of General Qassem Soleimani, former leader of the Quds Force.

During the ceremony, attendees emphasized loyalty to Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late leader, who has not yet publicly appeared and is believed to be recovering from injuries sustained in the strike. Mourners urged obedience to his guidance as the country navigates ongoing challenges.

Khamenei’s body is scheduled to be transported across multiple Iranian cities and into Iraq before his burial at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace. The mourning period, extending through Thursday, has prompted significant disruptions in daily life, including road closures and airspace restrictions.

The funeral events come as diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict remain paused. Key issues such as Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz—a critical global energy pathway that Iran closed during the conflict—remain unresolved, with the United States opposing Tehran’s demands. While a multilateral maritime coalition, led by the U.S. Navy, has facilitated around 70 transits through the Strait in recent days, traffic levels have yet to return to prewar normalcy given ongoing security concerns and mine clearance operations.

Negotiations between Iran and the U.S. continue with the aim of reopening the Strait and addressing contentious topics including Iran’s nuclear program and regional proxy conflicts. The funeral serves both as a platform for expressing national unity and defiance and a temporary halt in talks until mourning concludes.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.