Funeral prayers were held on Sunday in Tehran for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and four members of his family as millions of people gathered to pay respect to the late leader.
The funeral prayers for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and four members of his family were led by Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani, one of Iran’s most prominent religious scholars.
According to reports, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son and designated successor of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, did not attend the ceremony due to security concerns following reported Israeli threats against him.
Among those mourned was Khamenei’s 14-month-old granddaughter, Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani. Videos shared online showed her small coffin placed beside her grandfather’s during the funeral ceremony. Her father, Mohammad Javad Mohammadi Golpayegani, was present at the prayers. Her mother, Boshra Khamenei, was also martyred in the same strike.
Khamenei’s other sons—Masoud, Meysam, and Mostafa—attended the funeral prayers alongside senior Iranian officials and military commanders, including Ahmad Vahidi, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Among the attendees were President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei. Also present was Esmail Qaani, commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force.
The ceremony took place at the Imam Khomeini Grand Musalla, where Khamenei’s body has been lying in state since Saturday, allowing members of the public and officials to pay their final respects.
Tasnim news agency reported that the main courtyard of the Musalla reached full capacity several hours before the congregational prayers began, with large crowds gathering to attend the funeral service.
The funeral schedule will continue with a procession in Tehran on Monday, followed by another in the holy city of Qom on Tuesday.
After the ceremonies in Iran, Khamenei’s body will be transported to the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala for additional funeral rites before being returned to Iran for burial in the city of Mashhad on Thursday.
