Millions of Iranians participated in a funeral procession for late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Monday, with some attendees expressing anti-American sentiment and hostility toward former US President Donald Trump. The massive public gathering offered Iran an opportunity to project resilience following a period of conflict with the United States and Israel.
Mourners were seen setting fire to British and American flags and hurling rocks at images of Trump. Banners with slogans such as 'Kill Trump' were displayed, and some individuals kicked or threw projectiles at posters bearing his likeness. Images of other political figures, including Pete Hegseth, JD Vance, and Benjamin Netanyahu, were also marked with crosshairs.
Iranian leaders, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Revolutionary Guards chief Ahmad Vahidi, joined prayers over Khamenei's casket during ceremonies on Sunday. However, Khamenei's son and potential successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, was conspicuously absent from public view since his reported appointment in early March. Officials stated Mojtaba was wounded in the airstrike that killed his father, though the severity of his injuries remains unclear.
The late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, ruled Iran from 1989 until his death at age 86 in an airstrike on February 28, marking the first day of the US-Israeli war with Iran. His body lay in state for two days before the procession through the capital.
Authorities aimed to prevent a recurrence of the chaos that marked the 1989 funeral of Khamenei's predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which drew an estimated 10 million people and resulted in crowd surges that caused fatalities and numerous injuries.
Tehran's airspace was closed on Monday as the country observed the farewell for the former leader. Mourners carried flags of Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, along with red flags symbolizing revenge. In Imam Hussein Square, an effigy of US President Donald Trump was reportedly hanged.
Similar events are scheduled to take place in Qom on Tuesday, followed by ceremonies in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday. Khamenei is slated to be buried in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday.
The funeral events come after mass protests in January, which rights groups reported were met with a crackdown that resulted in thousands of deaths. While a ceasefire and an initial accord have put the Middle East war on hold, both the US and Iran have indicated readiness to resume military action, with vengeance emerging as a prominent theme during the funeral proceedings.
Khamenei's leadership was characterized by a confrontational stance towards the West, and Iran has a history of supporting anti-US and anti-Israel armed groups in the region, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
