Iran is preparing for a lavish six-day funeral to honor deceased former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with militant and authoritarian allies descending on the capital of Tehran for a spectacle designed to project the regime’s strength despite war, economic turmoil, and uncertainty over its future.The ceremonies begin Saturday, more than four months after Khamenei was killed in the opening wave of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Feb. 28.Notably absent is expected to be his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since assuming power in March after reportedly being wounded in the same strike that killed his father. His absence has fueled continued speculation about his health as U.S.-Iran negotiations remain on hold.
Perhaps one of the most notable appearances came from Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who leads the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and had not been seen publicly for months.In this photo released by Iran’s Supreme Leader’s office, Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Gen. Ahmad Vahidi sits alongside Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei casket as it lies in a mourning hall adjacent to the Imam Khomeini Hussainiya within the Supreme Leader’s compound before his funeral in Tehran, Iran, late Thursday, July 2, 2026. (Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via AP)
