Huge crowds gather with red flags of vengeance to mark 40th day of martyred Leader’s funeral

Waving red flags of vengeance and banners bearing the image of the martyred Leader, huge crowds of Iranians gathered at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalla on Wednesday to mark the 40th day since the funeral of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, vowing to exact justice and steadfastly continue his revolutionary path.

The massive commemorative ceremony, held under the spiritual atmosphere of profound grief and resolute defiance, was convened at the invitation of the current Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei.

Attendees filled the expansive prayer grounds, chanting slogans that echoed their demand for revenge against the perpetrators and their unwavering commitment to the ideals of the Islamic Republic.

The high-profile gathering was attended by the late Leader’s surviving family members. 

They were joined by the highest echelons of Iran’s political and military establishment, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, and Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei.

Also present were prominent figures such as Gholamali Haddad Adel, IRGC Quds Force Commander Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, Head of the Mostazafan Foundation Hossein Dehghan, Acting Defense Minister Brigadier General Seyed Majid Ibn al-Reza, and Leader’s Advisor Mohammad Mokhber.

Following the Tehran gathering, major mourning ceremonies are scheduled to be held after the evening prayers on Thursday at the holy shrine of Hazrat Fatima Masoumeh in Qom.

The observances will culminate on Friday, with a massive gathering at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (peace be upon him) in Mashhad.

Ayatollah Khamenei was martyred on February 28, 2026, in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on Tehran at the outset of a 40-day unprovoked war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran. 

His martyrdom triggered an unprecedented wave of grief, unity, and defiance across the nation and the broader region.

The historic week-long funeral processions in July drew millions of mourners from every province of Iran and dozens of countries around the world, transforming the mourning period into a powerful display of national solidarity.

The journey of the Leader’s body culminated on July 10, 2026, in the holy city of Mashhad, where massive crowds bid a final, emotional farewell before his body was laid to rest adjacent to the holy shrine of Imam Reza.

The outpouring of sorrow also extended to the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, where millions participated in parallel mourning ceremonies, underscoring the deep spiritual, political, and strategic bonds between the two nations and highlighting the martyred Leader's enduring reverence across the Islamic world.

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