Large crowds gathered in Tehran this weekend for funeral ceremonies and public prayer services for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei [1, 2].
The events serve as a massive show of regime support following the death of the leader, who was killed in U.S.–Israeli strikes in February [4, 5].
Funeral rites began on Saturday, with the body lying in state at the Grand Mosalla [2, 3]. On Sunday, three of Khamenei's sons prayed beside his coffin [6]. However, his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, did not appear at the ceremony [6].
Reports on the scale of the crowds vary significantly. Some sources describe the attendance as hundreds of thousands of mourners [1], while others said that more than 10 million people gathered in the capital [4]. Iranian authorities said that 20 million people will attend the ceremonies over the course of six days [3].
The sheer volume of people has raised severe safety concerns. Some reports indicate that Iran is preparing for up to 3,000 deaths resulting from the crowd size [7].
These ceremonies are intended to demonstrate national unity and defiance against the U.S. and Israel following the strikes that killed the Supreme Leader [3, 4]. The absence of Mojtaba Khamenei during the prayer service has drawn attention as the country navigates this transition of power.
“Authorities predict 20 million people will attend the six‑day ceremonies.”
The disparity in crowd estimates and the absence of the designated successor suggest a regime attempting to project absolute strength and stability while facing internal logistical crises and potential political uncertainty during a high-stakes leadership transition.
