The main funeral procession for martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei began in Tehran on Monday morning, with millions of mourners filling the streets of the capital.
As the cortege reached Azadi Square, the vehicle carrying the sacred body of the martyred Leader was forced to stop because of the overwhelming outpouring of grief and affection from mourners gathered around it.
In a post on social media, Iman Attarzadeh, the spokesperson for the headquarters organizing the funeral ceremonies, said the vehicle had been halted due to the "widespread expressions of love and devotion by the faithful and admirers” of the martyred Imam.
He called on mourners to reach the late Leader's funeral convoy at Azadi Square through the routes that had already been announced by the organizers.
Large numbers of people have begun taking to the streets from the early hours of Monday to participate in the historic funeral procession.
.
The funeral ceremonies for the martyred Leader officially began on Friday, when foreign dignitaries and official delegations from across the region and beyond arrived in Tehran to pay tribute.
On July 4 and 5, millions of mourners attended the farewell ceremonies at Tehran's Grand Musalla, where crowds continuously streamed into the prayer hall throughout Saturday and Sunday.
Quran recitations and elegies echoed through the Musalla, creating an atmosphere of profound mourning and steadfast resolve. Funeral prayers for the martyred Leader and the martyred members of his family were held there on Sunday morning with the participation of senior Iranian officials.
Following Monday's procession in Tehran, the funeral cortege will travel to the holy city of Qom on Tuesday. Funeral and tribute ceremonies will then continue in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday at the request of Iraqi religious and political leaders, before concluding with the burial of Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS) in Mashhad on Thursday.
Ayatollah Khamenei was martyred in a joint US-Israeli strike on Tehran on February 28, 2026, at the outset of a 40-day war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
His assassination triggered widespread condemnation and mourning across Iran and the Axis of Resistance, with participants in the funeral ceremonies carrying red flags as a declaration that the demand for justice and retribution for the martyred Leader remains alive.