World · 5 July 2026
Iran holds six-day funeral for former supreme leader Ali Khamenei
english.khamenei.ir via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-4.0)
Iran is holding a six-day, five-city funeral for former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a US and Israeli airstrike in February. The enormous ceremony, which organisers suggest could see 30 million people present, aims to demonstrate the nation's power and ability to recover from external pressure. The funeral also allows hard-line elements of the Revolutionary Guard to demonstrate their survival and send a message to domestic critics.
Reported by Guardian · How we write briefs