Iran mourns Khamenei: Day 2 funerals draw reported millions

Tehran: Iran entered the second day of funeral ceremonies on Sunday for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with state and media reports saying millions of mourners have gathered in Tehran as nationwide mourning continues.

Several media organisations reported that more than nine million people had travelled to the capital to attend the state funeral, a figure that has not been officially confirmed by Iranian authorities. The government declared a public holiday on Sunday as the multi-day mourning proceeded.

Funeral prayers at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla concluded after being led by senior Shia cleric Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani. Khamenei’s casket was brought into the prayer hall ahead of the service and will continue its journey through the capital before a main funeral procession on Monday.

Officials said the Grand Mosalla reached capacity before prayers, prompting authorities to close the hall and ask additional mourners to gather in surrounding streets. Several nearby roads, including the Resalat (Qassem Soleimani) Expressway, were reportedly closed to manage the crowds.

Tehran’s metro recorded heavy use during the ceremonies. Tasnim News Agency reported 7,141,212 trips on the city network between 5:30 pm on Saturday and 7 am on Sunday, and authorities extended metro services to facilitate travel to Imam Khomeini Mosalla.

Saturday marked the start of public farewells, when tens of thousands gathered at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla. Foreign delegations from more than 100 countries attended, and Iranian officials said millions are expected to participate over the coming days.

After ceremonies in Tehran, the funeral rites will continue in Qom, Baghdad, Najaf and Karbala, before Khamenei is scheduled to be laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad on Thursday, July 9.