Funeral procession for Ali Khamenei begins in Tehran amid ongoing regional conflict

What happened

The Guardian reports that millions have gathered in Tehran for a six-day funeral procession for Ali Khamenei, Iran’s former supreme leader, who was killed in February during initial US and Israeli airstrikes that ignited the current war in the Middle East. The procession began amid national mourning and has brought to public view several officials not seen since the conflict’s outset, including former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and leaders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. According to the report, the funeral events have become a political spectacle intertwining mourning with calls for revenge. The procession spans five cities and will culminate with Khamenei's burial at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad. Authorities have suspended airspace and closed streets in Tehran to manage the large-scale public gathering, reflecting the event’s symbolic and logistical significance.

Meanwhile, hostilities persist elsewhere in the region. Lebanese state media say a recent Israeli drone strike on a car in southern Lebanon killed four people, including three women, despite a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun criticized the Israeli occupation of the south for preventing Lebanese army deployment and undermining state legitimacy, highlighting ongoing friction that complicates peace efforts.

Known from the source

• Ali Khamenei was killed in February during an airstrike attributed to US and Israeli forces.
• Millions have gathered in Tehran for Khamenei’s funeral procession, which lasts six days and covers five cities.
• The procession has brought several previously unseen officials into public view, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and senior Revolutionary Guard leaders.
• Lebanese state media report an Israeli drone strike killed four people in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire.
• Lebanon’s president stated that Israel’s occupation impedes Lebanese army deployment in the south.

What remains unclear

The report also notes political developments, including US President Donald Trump’s comment that the US will either negotiate a deal with Iran or 'finish the job'—a statement underlining continued US engagement in the conflict. Hamas is reportedly dissolving Gaza’s governing body in favor of a technocratic committee linked to the US-backed Board of Peace, following a 2025 ceasefire deal.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verify casualty figures and circumstances of the Israeli drone strike on the car in southern Lebanon. Confirm details around the airstrike that killed Ali Khamenei and explicit attribution of responsibility. Confirm current status and composition of Gaza’s governing authority after Hamas’s dissolution claim.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: The Guardian Iran. Open the source.