Khamenei Funeral Tests Iran After Four-Month Delay

Iran began funeral rites for Ali Khamenei after a four-month delay, with the regime having waited for a tentative truce and U.S. July Fourth focus before staging multi-city ceremonies. Hundreds of thousands gathered at Tehran's Grand Mosalla, with anti-U.S. and anti-Israel revenge chants, while Mojtaba Khamenei stayed out of sight. The funeral pause pushed U.S.-Iran meetings until after commemorations, and there are reports of state-linked pressure on workers and institutions to attend. For Israel, the ceremony is not strength but evidence that deterrence forced Tehran to plan a guarded display around a dead terror patron.