Iran Claims 43 Million Attended Ali Khamenei Funeral

Iranian media claimed 41 million to 43 million people attended the funeral rites for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from July 4 through the burial on July 9. The body of Iran's top leader was first laid in state at the Grand Mosque in Tehran, then taken to Qom, flown to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, before returning to Iran for burial at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad. The procession was also attended by delegations from Iran's allies, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hizbullah and Houthi, as well as representatives from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkiye, Pakistan, China and Russia. Amid the millions of mourners, attention also focused on about 400 foreign bloggers and influencers who came to Iran, including several U.S. citizens such as Jackson Hinkle.