Sea of mourners fills Tehran for Khamenei’s funeral, millions gather at Grand Mosalla

Millions of people gathered in Iran's capital, Tehran, on Saturday to attend the funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. From early morning, the Grand Mosalla complex and the surrounding streets were packed with mourners. Even before the official ceremony began, the entire area was filled to capacity.

According to international news agency AFP and various Iranian media outlets, thousands of people dressed in black crowded the main roads leading to the Grand Mosalla from the early hours of the day. Many carried Iranian national flags and banners, while mourners arrived from different parts of the capital to take part in the funeral procession.

Videos shared on social media showed long queues of people waiting outside several Tehran metro stations before dawn. They were waiting for the stations to open so they could quickly reach the Grand Mosalla. With traffic restrictions in place across many roads, numerous attendees walked several kilometers to reach the venue.

AFP reported that large numbers of mourners carrying red banners had gathered in the main courtyard of the Grand Mosalla. In Iran, red flags and banners are regarded as symbols of revenge. Parts of the crowd were also heard chanting slogans such as "Death to America" and "Revenge, Revenge."

To accommodate the massive turnout, authorities opened all entrances to the Grand Mosalla complex. Special security measures and traffic control arrangements were implemented throughout the capital.

State representatives and senior officials from countries around the world also arrived in Tehran to attend the funeral. Among those present were the President and the Speaker of Parliament of Iraq, the Prime Minister, Army Chief, and Senate Chairman of Pakistan, Afghanistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, the Prime Minister of Armenia, the Vice President of Türkiye, Saudi Arabia's Deputy Foreign Minister, the Speaker of Qatar's Shura Council, as well as representatives from Oman, Egypt, and Yemen.

Delegations from Russia, China, India, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Namibia, and Nicaragua were also in attendance. Representatives of international organizations, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, also participated in the funeral.

Leaders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, various Yemeni groups, and several political and religious organizations from across the Middle East were also present at the ceremony.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28 in a joint U.S.-Israeli attack.