Story perspectives

Mourners Chant “Revenge” at Khamenei Funeral, Pledge Retaliation

7/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

Mourners at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral repeatedly chanted “revenge, revenge” while brandishing red Shi’ite flags.
Iran staged a multi-day procession that moved Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin through Tehran’s Grand Mosalla complex.
Thousands of attendees, including an 18-year-old student, pledged to avenge Khamenei’s death if God wills.
The ceremony showed family coffins, portraits of new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei and a Hezbollah yellow flag.

History

Historical Context

After Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini died on 3 June 1989, his state funeral attracted as many as 10 million mourners, cementing the revolutionary zeal that surged during the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The same fervor propelled Iran’s support for Hezbollah’s 1982 Beirut siege. Today’s chants at a mock funeral for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei echo that legacy, warning of renewed intra-Shia power clashes.

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Story summary

Mourners at Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral repeatedly chanted “revenge, revenge” while brandishing red Shi’ite flags.
Iran staged a multi-day procession that moved Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin through Tehran’s Grand Mosalla complex.
Thousands of attendees, including an 18-year-old student, pledged to avenge Khamenei’s death if God wills.
The ceremony showed family coffins, portraits of new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei and a Hezbollah yellow flag.

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