Huge crowds turn out in Tehran for funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

This version of Huge Crowds Turn Tehran Funeral Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Rcna352915 - World News | NBC News Clone was adapted by NBC News Clone to help readers digest key facts more efficiently.

Inside Tehran’s Grand Mosalla, a sea of mourners dressed in black turned out for the start of the dayslong funeral, expected to draw millions from across Iran.

Mourners gather at the Grand Mosalla to pay their final respects to Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the start of his funeral ceremonies in Tehran on Saturday.Atta Kenare / AFP via Getty Images

July 4, 2026, 7:25 AM EDT / Updated July 4, 2026, 12:18 PM EDT

By Richard Engel, Babak Dehghanpisheh and Freddie Clayton

TEHRAN, Iran — Massive crowds showed up Saturday for the official start of the funeral of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the beginning of a weeklong mourning period that is meant to project the strength and resilience of the Islamic Republic.

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