Iran began major funeral ceremonies today for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a closely watched moment shaped by mourning, politics, and tensions with the United States.
Officials presented the ceremonies as a national tribute to the former supreme leader, who was killed earlier this year in a U.S.-Israeli strike. Large crowds gathered in Tehran as Khamenei’s body lay in state, with additional events planned across major Shiite religious sites before his burial in Mashhad.
The funeral is also being used to project unity at a difficult time for Iran. The country is facing economic pressure, public frustration, and uncertainty over its political direction after Khamenei’s death.
His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has succeeded him as supreme leader, but his limited public presence has kept questions around the transition alive. Iranian authorities are treating the funeral as both a religious farewell and a public demonstration of control.
For the United States, the event adds another layer to an already fragile relationship with Tehran.