Thousands of people across Iran gathered on Thursday to honour the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who ruled the country for nearly four decades before being killed in a wave of US-Israeli strikes earlier this year.
State television images showed large crowds participating in rallies in several cities, including Tehran, Urmia, and Gorgan. Many demonstrators carried portraits of Khamenei as they paid tribute to the longtime leader.
The nationwide commemorations began at 9:40 a.m. local time, marking the moment Khamenei was killed on February 28 at his residence in Tehran during coordinated strikes that targeted senior Iranian officials.
Khamenei, who became Iran’s supreme leader in 1989, held ultimate authority over the country’s political and military institutions during his decades in power. His death triggered a major escalation in tensions across the Middle East and marked the beginning of a wider regional conflict.
Following his death, his son Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded him as Iran’s supreme leader. However, he has not appeared in public since before the outbreak of the war, and it remained unclear whether he would attend any of the memorial events held across the country.
Authorities said the nationwide rallies were part of ongoing tributes to the late leader, whose state funeral has yet to take place due to the continuing conflict in the region.
The killing of Khamenei during the strikes triggered retaliatory actions by Iran against US interests in the Gulf and attacks targeting Israel, intensifying the conflict that quickly spread across the region.
Despite the ongoing war and regional tensions, thousands of Iranians turned out in cities across the country to honour the late leader and mark the moment of his death with coordinated memorial gatherings.