An aerial view of the crowd gathered for the funeral prayers for Sayyed Ali Khamenei at the Fatima Masoumeh shrine in Qom, Iran, July 7, 2026. Photo: IRNA.
Millions of mourners packed the streets of the holy city of Qom on Tuesday, July 7, to perform funeral prayers for the late Leader, martyr Sayyed Ali Khamenei, in what analysts are calling a massive reaffirmation of allegiance to the principles of the Islamic Revolution.
The ceremonies, now in their fifth day, have drawn crowds described by the Financial Times as “the largest in the modern history of the world.”
Iranian state television shared aerial footage of the city of Qom, Iran, on the fifth day of the ongoing funeral processions of martyred leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei alongside several of his family members.
The aerial footage shows a sea of mourners filling the streets of Qom as… pic.twitter.com/8iU9aXHeKX
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 7, 2026
The procession in Qom, a city of approximately 1.5 million people and home to Iran’s foremost religious seminaries and shrines, followed similar scenes in the capital, Tehran, where millions turned out on Monday to bid farewell.
State television aired aerial footage showing every thoroughfare in Qom choked with participants, forcing the funeral cortege to move at a snail’s pace toward the shrine of Lady Fatima Masoumeh.
Millions of Iranians have gathered in Qom in the area stretching from Jamkaran Mosque (Saheb al-Zaman Mosque) on the outskirts of the city, headed to the Fatima Masumeh Shrine in central Qom as part of the funeral procession of martyr Sayyed Ali Khamenei.
Al Mayadeen’s… pic.twitter.com/2PDKNbGLCB
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 7, 2026
Tuesday morning, the vast congregation performed the funeral prayer over the bodies of the late leader and family members who fell alongside him during the joint US-Israeli attack on the Islamic Republic on February 28. The prayer was led by 93-year-old Grand Ayatollah Abdollah Javadi-Amoli at the Jamkaran Mosque, marking the late leader’s final physical presence at that revered site.
The coffins of Sayyed Khamenei and his family members, including that of his 14-month-old granddaughter, were placed inside the mosque, where clerics and civilians alike filed past to cast their last glances, chanting in unison: “Death to America! At your service, Seyyed Mojtaba!”
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Political analysts told Al Mayadeen that the outpouring of grief was more than just grief. “The human tsunami in Qom today, and in Tehran yesterday, is a renewal of the pledge to the path of the martyred leader and the foundations of the Islamic Revolution,” one analyst said.
They argued that the sheer scale of participation proves that the Iranian people are not merely an electoral demographic but “active partners in decision-making” in the country. “Iran is showing the world that its people share in national decisions, presenting a unique model of genuine democracy,” the analysts added.
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Observers also pointed to the unique bond between the populace and the late leader’s persona, noting that the world is now fully aware of his standing in Iranians’ hearts. “With this majestic presence, the Iranian people are saying: This martyred leader taught us steadfastness, dignity, and honor, and brought development to our nation,” they said.
The funeral cortege is scheduled to depart for Iraq on Tuesday evening, accompanied by President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and the late leader’s eldest son. The official farewell will merge with popular tributes at the shrines of Imam Ali in Najaf and Imam Hussein in Karbala, before the bodies return to Iran.
