Iran Begins 40 Days Mourning After Khamenei's Death
Last update: March 1, 2026
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Khamenei was killed in coordinated attacks by the United States and Israel.
Iran began 40 days of mourning on Sunday after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in ongoing attacks by the United States and Israel, Iranian state media reported.
Senior security officials were also killed in Saturday’s strikes, along with members of Khamenei’s family, in one of the most significant blows to Iran’s leadership since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned the killing as “a great crime”, according to a statement from his office, and declared seven days of public holidays in addition to the 40-day mourning period.
Crowds gathered in central Tehran following news of Khamenei’s death, state media said.
“There will be expected ceremonies,” Al Jazeera correspondent Tohid Asadi reported from Tehran, adding that events were likely to take place amid continuing bombardment across the country.
Protests denouncing the killing were also reported in the cities of Shiraz, Yasuj and Lorestan province.
Footage broadcast by state television showed supporters mourning at the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, with several people seen crying.
The killing triggered protests in neighbouring Iraq, which declared three days of public mourning.
In Baghdad, demonstrators confronted security forces in the heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses Iraqi government buildings and foreign embassies. Witnesses said some protesters attempted to move towards the U.S. Embassy, while others blocked vehicles near one of the entrances to the area.
