Tehran hosted the funeral of Ali Khamenei, Iran's former supreme leader who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on 28 February 2026, drawing delegations from roughly 100 countries. State television described the event as historic.
Attendance estimates varied sharply. Factnameh estimated about 300,000 people gathered at Tehran's Grand Mosalla at peak, while Iranian authorities claimed up to 15 million participants. Over seven days of ceremonies across Iran and Iraq, between 41 and 43 million people participated, with more than 10 million mourners in Iraq alone, according to Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi. The funeral procession passed through Tehran, Qom, Mashhad, Najaf, and Karbala before final burial in Mashhad.
Parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf framed attendance as a renewal of allegiance to Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader. Mojtaba himself did not attend for security reasons, though three of Khamenei's other sons were present. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Hezbollah and Hamas representatives on the sidelines.