Thousands Rally in Iran for Khamenei's 40th-Day Mourning

Thousands of Iranians gathered in rallies across the country on Thursday to mark the 40th day of mourning for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a U.S.-Israeli strike on February 28 at his residence in Tehran. The processions, a traditional Muslim rite known as Chehlum, drew participants in the capital and cities including Urmia in the northwest and Gorgan in the northeast, coinciding with the fragile ceasefire that took effect earlier in the week.

The main event in Tehran began at 9:40 a.m. local time, the exact moment of the attack that also claimed the lives of several senior military commanders, such as Major General Abdul Rahim Mousavi, Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, and Major General Mohammad Pakpour, along with members of Khamenei's family. Crowds assembled at Republic Square and marched to the strike site, holding portraits of the late leader and waving Iranian flags. State television broadcast images of the gatherings, where attendees expressed grief and resolve amid the ongoing regional conflict.

President Masoud Pezeshkian joined the Tehran procession, interacting with participants and posing for selfies, according to footage aired on state media....