Day 130 Huge Crowds Reach Qom For Funeral

World

Day 130 Huge Crowds Reach Qom For Khamenei Funeral

The US Israel war on Iran has now passed its 130th day. Iran marked the occasion with a massive funeral gathering in the holy city of Qom.

Iranian state television aired helicopter footage early Tuesday showing enormous crowds on the move. The scale of the gathering underscored how large this funeral has become.

What happened in Qom today?

Iranian state television broadcast live helicopter images of hundreds of thousands of people. They were walking toward Jamkaran Mosque, just south of Qom, for a funeral service.

The service honored Iran's slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Qom is a major center of Shia religious learning in Iran.

Why is Qom significant to this funeral?

Qom sits near the Fordow nuclear site, which the US struck in June 2025. The city itself is also an important industrial and petrochemical hub.

Ceremonies in Qom are taking place near both the Jamkaran Mosque and the Shrine of Fatima Masoumeh. Both sites hold major significance in Shia Islam.

Where does the funeral procession go next?

The funeral is a six day event running from July 4 through July 9. Tehran hosted the largest procession earlier in the week before events moved to Qom.

Khamenei's body will next be transported to the Iraqi city of Najaf. The procession will then continue to Karbala before a final burial in Mashhad on Thursday.

Iranian officials estimate between 8 million and 10 million people could attend the final burial ceremony. Mashhad is Khamenei's birthplace and one of Shia Islam's holiest cities.

Has Iran's new supreme leader appeared yet?

Mojtaba Khamenei, the son chosen to succeed his father, has still not appeared publicly. His absence has continued throughout the entire funeral week so far.

Officials have not explained the reason behind his continued absence. Analysts see the silence as notable given the massive scale of the ceremonies.

What other major event is developing on day 130?

A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile near the Strait of Hormuz late Monday. The strike happened as Iran's funeral events continued across the country.

President Trump said the US would win the war against Iran one way or another. His comments came during a pause in negotiations tied to the funeral period.

How has security been managed during the funeral?

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is overseeing security across all funeral events. The Basij paramilitary force is coordinating logistics and crowd management nationwide.

Iran's army general had warned the US and Israel against attacking during the funeral procession. That warning came as foreign delegations arrived for the ceremonies this week.