Iran once again bids farewell to its supreme leader in massive funeral

• Millions have gathered across Iran to mourn Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, echoing the historic farewell to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.
• Khomeini's funeral remains one of the largest in history, with an estimated 10.2 million attendees.

Nearly four decades after millions of Iranians filled the streets to bid farewell to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the country has once again witnessed massive funeral ceremonies for a supreme leader.

Iran is holding multi-day funeral processions for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, drawing huge crowds in Tehran and other cities in a display that has revived memories of the historic funeral held for the founder of the Islamic Republic in 1989.

When Khomeini died in June 1989, an estimated 10.2 million people attended his funeral, according to official Iranian figures. The turnout was later recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest percentage of a country's population to attend a funeral.

The ceremony, however, descended into chaos after mourners surged toward Khomeini's coffin, triggering a crowd crush that forced authorities to suspend the funeral procession. The coffin was eventually airlifted by helicopter so the crowds could disperse before burial resumed, according to Iran's semi-official Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA).

The Associated Press reported at the time that eight people were killed and hundreds were injured during the crush.

While official attendance figures for Khamenei's funeral have not yet been released, images from Tehran have shown vast crowds gathering for prayers and funeral processions, making it one of the largest public gatherings in Iran since Khomeini's death.

The parallel between the two funerals underscores the symbolic significance of the supreme leader's role in the Islamic Republic, with both ceremonies drawing extraordinary public participation despite being separated by nearly 37 years.