Iran begins dayslong funeral procession in Tehran for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with citywide shutdowns

Iran has begun a dayslong funeral procession through Tehran for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died in February in an airstrike that Iranian officials said was carried out by the United States and Israel. The procession began Monday as Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin and those of family members killed in the same Feb. 28 strike were taken through the capital ahead of burial later this week.

NBC News reported that streets and airspace were shut down for the mourning, with officials also restricting daily life to accommodate large crowds. The procession is scheduled to move toward Mehrabad International Airport after traveling for roughly 12 hours, with the plan to continue toward Mashhad for the burial at the Imam Reza shrine, Khamenei’s birthplace.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has been involved in overseeing the logistics of the ceremonies. NBC News cited a Revolutionary Guard general, Hasan Hasanzsdeh, as overseeing the procession. Observers described the coffin being transported on a truck decorated to resemble the ornamental grating surrounding the shrine of an imam, while mourners moved alongside the vehicle, reaching out in a traditional practice described by reporters as meant to touch or interact with the shrine-like grating.

As the coffin travels through Tehran, authorities say the ceremonies are also meant to demonstrate popular support for the Islamic Republic. NBC News reported thousands had gathered in public squares across the capital, waving flags and banners in Khamenei’s honor, as officials encouraged large attendance at the citywide commemorations.

The scale of the ceremonies is also intersecting with ongoing diplomacy related to regional security and Iran’s nuclear program. NBC News reported that the United States has been pressing negotiations with Iran aimed at fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, rolling back Iran’s disputed nuclear program, and reaching a permanent end to the war. NBC News said those talks appear to be on hold until after Khamenei’s burial.

Several reports also described intensifying security and political tensions around the funeral route. WVTM and other outlets, citing the atmosphere among mourners, reported threats and calls for violence that included references to killing U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In related reporting, the articles said U.S. federal authorities have tracked Iranian threats against Trump and other officials for years, though Iran has repeatedly denied plotting against him.

France 24 also reported that the procession drew large crowds of mourners as it moved through central Tehran, while photography and additional coverage from AP documented crowds chanting slogans in Islamic Revolution Square during the funeral preparations. With the ceremony timeline stretching through Thursday, authorities are expected to maintain heightened traffic and airspace controls for the duration of the procession and transfer.

For residents in Tehran, the funeral shutdowns are expected to continue alongside the movement of mourners through major districts until the coffin’s departure for Mashhad is completed. The coming days will also determine when the next round of diplomacy resumes after the burial, according to reporting that linked talks to the funeral schedule. Meanwhile, the public ceremonies are likely to remain the central test of Iran’s ability to manage crowd safety during an extended period of high attendance and restricted movement.