Iran Says Goodbye to Its Leader—And Questions Loom About What Comes Next

Iran's government held a massive, multi-day funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei starting July 4, 2026. He was Iran's supreme leader—the highest-ranking official in the country—and his death has left the nation in a moment of uncertainty about who will lead next.

On the second day of the funeral, July 5, crowds gathered in Tehran and other cities across Iran. Many chanted slogans like "Death to America" and "Death to Israel," and called for revenge. They beat their chests—a traditional sign of mourning in Shia Islam. According to AP News and CNN, the ceremonies had begun on July 3 with a procession, and by July 5 Khamenei's coffin—along with those of family members—was on public display at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mosalla.

Some mourners carried red banners, which in Shia tradition symbolize blood and a call for justice. Iran International reported that government supporters at the funeral chanted "kill Trump," while Iranian MP Ali Khezrian framed the anger as a response to what he called American and Israeli "terrorism."

The scale of the funeral is being compared to that of Ayatollah Khomeini in 1989, the founder of modern Iran. The government organized simultaneous gatherings in Tehran, Yazd, and other cities—showing both how tightly controlled the state is and how it wants to show that people support it during this transition.

Iran's state news agency, IRNA, called Khamenei the "martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution." That language matters. Calling someone a "martyr" means suggesting they were killed by enemies—not that they died of natural causes. This framing could shape how Iran responds in the weeks ahead.

A New Leader, Still Unseen

Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, is widely expected to become the next supreme leader. But so far, he has not appeared in public. The funeral schedule includes a procession in Tehran on July 6, another in the holy city of Qom on July 7, and AP News reported that the body will travel through Iraq before burial at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad on July 9.

Whether Mojtaba will attend the burial is unclear and politically sensitive. NBC News reported that officials did not expect him to show up. But i24NEWS said the 56-year-old told officials he wanted to attend the Mashhad burial on July 9 and lead a prayer for the dead. Iranian authorities, according to the report, worried that Israel might use his public appearance there as a chance to target him.

That concern is not hypothetical. If Iran's government accepts the claim that Khamenei was killed by enemies—a suggestion embedded in calling him a "martyr"—then by Iran's own religious and political rules, the country may feel obliged to retaliate. Mojtaba appearing on live television at a funeral in a border region would be an obvious security risk for a nation already preparing for conflict.

Right now, Iran is doing three things at once: honoring its dead leader, showing strength and defiance to its rivals, and quietly managing the introduction of a successor who hasn't yet been publicly confirmed. The chants calling for revenge fit the script Iran's government has used before during times of crisis. But whether those chants turn into military action, support for proxy forces, or diplomatic moves will be decided in private meetings, away from the cameras and crowds.