Iran funeral draws millions as Hormuz tensions and diplomacy remain in focus
Iran on Saturday began six days of funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with authorities expecting millions of mourners to attend nationwide, while regional diplomacy and tensions over the Strait of Hormuz continued to shape the post-war landscape.
Thousands of mourners, most dressed in black, gathered before dawn at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla, where Khamenei’s coffin, draped with his black turban, was placed for the official state ceremony. Iranian authorities said between 15 and 20 million people were expected to participate in Tehran alone. The funeral procession will continue through several Iranian cities before passing through Iraq and concluding with burial in the northeastern city of Mashhad.
On the sidelines of the ceremonies, Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran, according to Iranian media. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi also attended the meeting. Araghchi separately held talks over the past two days with officials from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Nicaragua, Namibia and Iraq’s Kurdistan Region.
Meanwhile, U.S. media reported that Washington remains firmly opposed to any plan to impose transit fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking during celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, President Donald Trump said Iran was “very eager” to reach a political settlement with Washington.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the U.S.-Iran Islamabad agreement, saying the world had “breathed a sigh of relief” following the breakthrough. He stressed that any lasting solution must be driven by regional countries rather than outside powers and warned against attempts to derail the agreement.
“We support every step that reduces tensions and helps resolve the problems of our region,” Erdogan said, adding that the current Israeli government should not be allowed to plunge the Middle East back into conflict.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the attendance of senior political and religious figures from across the region and high-level international delegations at Khamenei’s funeral reflected both his stature and the resilience of the Iranian people.
The ministry thanked foreign dignitaries for attending despite what it described as external pressure and vowed that Iran and its supporters would continue seeking accountability for what it called U.S. and Israeli crimes.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said the Iranian people would ensure that “the banner for which the martyred leader struggled will never fall,” expressing confidence that the country would remain united despite recent challenges.
At the same time, Tehran renewed its warnings over the future of the Strait of Hormuz after France and Britain signalled readiness to deploy a multinational maritime task force to safeguard freedom of navigation.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned London and Paris against any military deployment in the strategic waterway, saying such moves would increase tensions. He insisted that the management of the strait must remain the responsibility of Iran and Oman.
Shipping data nevertheless suggested that commercial traffic remained uneven despite the gradual reopening of the route. Bloomberg reported that at least eight vessels unexpectedly reversed course near the Omani coast before entering the Strait of Hormuz between Friday and Saturday, highlighting continued uncertainty for global shipping.
According to the report, four of those vessels later transited the strait using the navigation corridor designated by Iran. The reasons for the course changes were not immediately clear, although Tehran has repeatedly stated that ships should use only the approved Iranian shipping lane.
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