Iranian state media has claimed that between 41 million and 43 million people attended the six-day funeral ceremonies for Iran’s slain Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, describing the events as among the largest public gatherings in the country’s history.
According to Al Jazeera, Iran’s state broadcaster Press TV claimed that Khamenei’s funeral and mourning processions constituted the largest funeral and public procession in history.
The report said the mourning ceremonies were held across five major cities in Iran and Iraq—Tehran, Qom, Najaf, Karbala, and Mashhad—where millions of people participated at different stages of the commemorations.
The official funeral ceremonies began last week at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla religious complex, where thousands gathered to pay their final respects to Khamenei. Funeral processions and mourning marches were subsequently held in multiple cities.
According to Iranian media, millions of people took part in the processions to pay tribute to the country’s political and religious leadership, while extensive security arrangements were put in place throughout the ceremonies.
However, the attendance figures released by Iranian media could not be independently verified, and no international organization has published official estimates of the number of participants.
Analysts say the ceremonies carried exceptional religious and political significance for Iran, with the country’s leadership portraying the large public turnout as a demonstration of national unity.
The reported strength of the gatherings has drawn attention internationally, with supporters of Iran’s leadership describing the turnout as a sign of national unity, public resolve and national solidarity.
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