TENS of thousands of mourners gathered at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Mosque on Saturday for funeral ceremonies marking the death of Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with representatives from Hezbollah, Hamas and Yemen’s Houthi movement among those in attendance.
According to state media reports, envoys from the Iran-aligned groups also met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the sidelines of the ceremonies.
The gathering highlighted the close ties between Tehran and a network of allied armed and political movements across the region, commonly described as the “axis of resistance”, which includes Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen and other allied factions in Iraq.
Hezbollah’s delegation was led by senior official and former minister Mohammed Fneish, accompanied by officials and relatives of fighters killed or wounded in previous conflicts, Lebanese media reported.
Hamas said its delegation was headed by political bureau chief Mohammed Darwish and included senior members such as Bassem Naim. Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah and senior Houthi representative Dhaif Allah al-Shami were also reported to have attended.
Iran has long provided political, financial and military backing to these groups as part of its regional strategy opposing Israel and Western allies.
Foreign news agencies cited that the funeral events drew large crowds to the capital’s main religious complex, with authorities describing the ceremonies as part of a multi-day national mourning programme.
Officials said the rites for Khamenei, who led Iran from 1989 until his death at the age of 86, would continue across several cities including Qom and Mashhad, with additional ceremonies also planned in Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala.
State organisers said large-scale processions were expected in the coming days, with transport and logistical arrangements in place for millions of mourners. - July 5, 2026
