Current sectionMiddle East NewsIran NewsA senior cleric said turnout for Khamenei's funeral would serve as a 'referendum' on the Islamic Republic as state media displayed coffins of the slain leader and his family, including his infant granddaughter, ahead of a tightly choreographed week of nationwide mourning and processionsShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeReuters09:34 AM • July 03 2026 IDTIran's ruling clerics are preparing days of mass funeral rites for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as state authorities move to stage large-scale public ceremonies meant to project loyalty to the Islamic Republic after its war with the United States and Israel.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Iran - U.S.IranIran Revolutionary GuardsAli KhameneiIsrael - IranMojtaba KhameneiCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesU.S.-IranGazaNetanyahuSteffen SeibertIsrael ElectionsHaQuizHaaretz PodcastIran Begins Mass Funeral Rites for Slain Supreme Leader Ali KhameneiIsrael's Parliament Passed a Basic Law That Embodies the Rot of This GovernmentWithout Thorough Probe, Israel Doomed to Repeat October 7 FailuresIsrael Chose Bad Time to Recognize Armenian Genocide. Especially for ArmeniaIDF: Reservist Severely Wounded in 'Close-quarters Encounter' in South LebanonRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIAdvanced Israeli Systems Sold to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Documents and Images ShowIsrael 2026 Election Poll Tracker: The Latest ProjectionsWhy Israelis Should Stop Being Afraid of Mamdani-backed Brad LanderSettlers Tried to Torch Palestinian Homes. They Messed With the Wrong Village103 Nails on the Map: How Israel's Government Is Burying the Two-state SolutionArab World Erupts Over Egypt–Iran LGBT 'Pride Match' in Seattle