On Wednesday, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and representatives of militia groups from the Middle East prayed over the coffins of the country’s late president, foreign minister, and other officials who died in a helicopter crash earlier this week. Hundreds of thousands of people later participated in a procession down Tehran’s main boulevard to honor the deceased.
Mass demonstrations are seen by Iran’s Shiite theocracy as crucial evidence of its legitimacy and public support. However, the turnout for Wednesday’s funeral service for President Ebrahim Raisi and others was noticeably lower than the 2020 procession for Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad.
Many attendees traveled from various cities and towns across Iran to participate, indicating the mixed reception of Raisi in Tehran. Raisi won the presidency in a record low turnout and later led multiple crackdowns on dissent, including following the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, which sparked widespread protests over Iran’s mandatory hijab law.
Khamenei, who had openly wept for Soleimani, remained composed while reciting the prayer for the dead. “Oh Allah, we didn’t see anything but good from him,” Khamenei said in Arabic, the language of the Quran. Iran’s acting president, Mohammad Mokhber, stood nearby and openly wept.
The deaths of Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and six others in the crash come at a politically sensitive time for Iran. Raisi, 63, had been considered a potential successor to the 85-year-old Khamenei. Notably, no living former presidents of Iran, except Khamenei, appeared in state television footage of the prayers, with no explanation given for their absence.
Following the crash, Iran has set June 28 as the date for the next presidential election, with no clear favorite among the political elite. Raisi’s term saw Iran launch an unprecedented attack on Israel amid its war with Hamas in Gaza. Iran has provided support and weaponry to Hamas throughout the conflict.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh attended the prayers, just two days after the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor announced he would seek an arrest warrant for Haniyeh and others over the October 7 attack that ignited the latest Israel-Hamas war. The ICC prosecutor also seeks arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for their roles in the war, which has resulted in over 35,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza and hundreds more in the West Bank.
Haniyeh recalled Raisi describing the October 7 attack as an “earthquake in the heart of the Zionist entity.” In a later meeting, Khamenei told Haniyeh that the “destruction of the Zionist regime is feasible and, God willing, the day in which Palestine will be created from the sea to the river will arrive.” Haniyeh’s presence likely signals Khamenei’s intention to continue supporting militant groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Yemen’s Houthi rebels to pressure adversaries such as Israel and the United States. Mourners at the ceremony chanted: “Death to Israel!” Representatives from Hezbollah and the Houthis were also present.
Statesmen from the Middle East and beyond attended a later memorial service, including Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Tunisian President Kais Saied. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry also attended, as Cairo and Tehran discuss reestablishing ties severed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
During the morning service, a single black turban was placed over Raisi’s casket, signifying his status as a direct descendant of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad. People carried the coffins on their shoulders as chants of “Death to America!” erupted outside.
Mourners openly wept and beat their chests, a traditional sign of grief in Shiite culture. Some tossed scarves and other items onto the semitruck carrying the caskets, hoping for a blessing.
Despite heavy security and warnings from prosecutors against celebrating Raisi’s death, some shops remained open, and others closed early for a long weekend, despite state broadcasts urging participation in the procession.
An Iranian official provided new details about Sunday’s crash, suggesting bad weather may have been a factor. Gholamhossein Esmaili, who was in one of the other helicopters, told state TV that weather was fine when they took off, but Raisi’s helicopter disappeared into heavy clouds and lost radio contact. A Turkish drone eventually located the crash site, and Tehran even sought help from the U.S. Esmaili noted that the conditions of the bodies indicated immediate deaths, but Ayatollah Ale-Hashem, also on board, died hours later.
