Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

IRGC Chief Appears at Khamenei Funeral Amid 20 Million Mourning

7/4/2026

40 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

IRGC chief General Ahmad Vahidi made his first public appearance in months at Khamenei’s funeral service, showing the military’s visible role.
Authorities expect 15-20 million mourners in Tehran, imposing tight security, traffic closures and free public transport.
Foreign delegations from China, Russia, India, Pakistan and other allies arrived, while new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was barred from the funeral and has not appeared publicly.

History

Historical Context

When Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s 1989 death sparked a Tehran funeral that drew two million mourners and saw the IRGC deploy 30,000 troops, the regime proved its reliance on state-orchestrated mourning. Khamenei’s 2026 assassination and the July 3 state funeral, attended by IRGC chief Ahmad Vahidi and delegations from China, Russia, India and Pakistan, echo that same strategy to project unity and authority.

1 of 2

Story summary

IRGC chief General Ahmad Vahidi made his first public appearance in months at Khamenei’s funeral service, showing the military’s visible role.
Authorities expect 15-20 million mourners in Tehran, imposing tight security, traffic closures and free public transport.
Foreign delegations from China, Russia, India, Pakistan and other allies arrived, while new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was barred from the funeral and has not appeared publicly.

1 / 2