Overview
- A large funeral procession carrying the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei's coffin marched through central Tehran on Monday, July 6, as part of a state-organized national funeral that began on July 4.
- Iranian authorities said they expected about 20 million people nationwide to attend and framed the events as proof that the Islamic system remains firm despite the February attack that killed Khamenei.
- The public visibility of Mojtaba Khamenei, the leader's son and reported successor, remains unclear and has become a central point of domestic and international attention.
- Israel's defense minister, Yoav Katz, warned on July 6 that any Iranian leader who seeks Israel's destruction could be killed, a statement that has increased concerns about near-term escalation.
- The funeral has featured regime symbols and calls for revenge, and because it is the first large public gathering since the February strike attributed to the United States and Israel, it may reshape succession politics and regional security dynamics.