# Thousands gather in Tehran as Ayatollah Khamenei's funeral begins

Large crowds assembled in Tehran for the first day of funeral ceremonies for Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The event marks the start of a multi-day mourning period and triggers a critical leadership transition in Iran. Khamenei's succession will shape the country's domestic policies and its role in regional conflicts and nuclear negotiations.

**Importance:** 5/5

## Sources

### World
- [BBC World](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0ky2zen1kgo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 09:45:55 GMT
- [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/7/6/khameneis-funeral-procession-moves-through-tehran?traffic_source=rss) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:05:35 +0000
- [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/7/6/iran-war-live-tehran-set-for-khameneis-procession-israel-bombs-lebanon?traffic_source=rss) — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000