Ali Khamenei, Iran's slain supreme leader, was buried in his hometown of Mashhad on 8 July, concluding a six-day funeral dubbed the "funeral of the century" by organisers. The events unfolded against a backdrop of renewed US airstrikes, with President Donald Trump declaring the fragile truce "over" and claiming 170 targets had been hit in the previous two nights.
Khamenei's Death and Succession
Khamenei, 86, was killed along with much of his immediate family in US/Israeli airstrikes that began in February. In March, his son Mojtaba Khamenei replaced him as supreme leader. Before his appointment, Mojtaba was a mid-ranking, elusive cleric who has yet to appear in public. The transition marks the end of Ali Khamenei's nearly 40-year rule.
Mixed Reactions in Tehran
Patrick Wintour, the Guardian's Diplomatic Editor, reported from Tehran: "Yes, the streets here are full, but so were the roads out. With an extended holiday in place for the funeral, plenty of Tehran's residents took the opportunity to head north to the sea and their holiday homes." He heard a wide range of views, with one refrain recurring: "Many people were only there because of how America attacked Iran. They're not supporters of the government, but couldn't stomach their leader being assassinated, and their country destroyed."
The Supreme Leader's Unique Role
Dr Evaleila Pesaran, a fellow at the University of Cambridge specialising in modern Iranian politics, explained the supreme leader's position. "His sphere of influence extends far further, charged with safeguarding the Islamic system – Nizam in Persian – and approves almost every governance decision. He is the head of the armed forces, state media and has a representative inside every ministry. It's a shadow government, as it were, wielding power quietly." The supreme leader is not elected but chosen by the Assembly of Experts, an 88-strong body of religious leaders who are voted on by the public.
Institutions of Power
Iran's political structures are complex. The Guardian Council, half of whose members are directly selected by the supreme leader, vets all parliamentary and presidential candidates. Ahead of the 2024 presidential election, only six out of 80 hopefuls were approved to run. The supreme leader also has de facto control over electoral processes through his proxies.
Economic Collapse and Public Grief
Inflation hit 88.60% in June, making basic goods unaffordable for many. "They can't afford to buy a bag of rice – it's the same as a working person's monthly wages," Pesaran noted. The funeral saw millions taking to the streets, with violent anti-Trump chants and banners reading "We the people are Iran's true missiles." Pesaran added: "The culture of grief within Iranian Shiism is far from the British stiff upper lip. At a funeral, you sob and wail."
Mojtaba Khamenei's Uncertain Path
Mojtaba remains invisible, having not appeared during the funeral. Pesaran expects some change: "He appears to view the world in a similar way to his father. But, Mojtaba's close ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will have made him aware of how bad killing all your customers is for business." The IRGC is a major employer and financial actor in Iran. "With total economic collapse, as and when peacetime returns, he will be forced to deviate from his father's approach if he hopes to maintain any sense of domestic legitimacy, or to create economic recovery."
Broader Context
The funeral occurred against a history of repression. Six months prior, protests had made streets ungovernable, with an estimated 30,000 killed by the state. Since then, US/Israeli airstrikes have battered military and civilian sites, killing thousands. The regime maintains its grip on power, but the future remains uncertain as a new supreme leader steps out of the shadows.
