Farewell to Ali Khamenei is underway in Tehran: Medvedev threatens blockade of straits, and Iran's new leader hides in a bunker
Mourning events have begun in the Iranian capital following the death of the country's former supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Amidst visits by foreign delegations, including from Belarus and Russia, Western publications report a deep split within the Iranian leadership and the physical isolation of the new head of state.
According to reports from the Iranian agency IRNA, the farewell ceremony for Ali Khamenei and members of his family, who died as a result of a US and Israeli strike, began on the morning of July 4 in Tehran's Mosalla Mosque named after Imam Khomeini.
The former leader of Iran was killed in February 2026 during a large-scale attack, and the official Janazah-namaz (funeral prayer) is scheduled for the morning of July 5. Today's event has already gathered tens of thousands of people. Iranian special services issued an official statement on the eve of the ceremony, promising immediate retaliation for the assassination of the leadership.
Foreign representatives arrived in Tehran to participate in the mourning events. The Belarusian delegation was headed by Chairman of the House of Representatives Igor Sergeenko, who plans to hold a series of meetings with the country's leadership to discuss joint economic projects.
Russia is represented by Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev. During his meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the parties discussed expanding strategic cooperation.
After the talks, Medvedev told reporters that Iran possesses its own "weapon, no weaker than thermonuclear" — the Strait of Hormuz and Bab-el-Mandeb. According to him, blocking these arteries could completely halt global transport and oil shipments.
The main intrigue in Iran's internal political life remains the fate of the new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.
According to The New York Times, since his appointment in March, he has not appeared in public once and governs the country from an isolated bunker. His security is an absolute priority for Iranian special services due to the threat of assassination from Israel and the US.
The younger Khamenei was not even present at the funeral of his own wife, Zahra Hadad-Adel, which took place the day before. It is reported that security services rejected his request to participate in the main events, but he plans to read a prayer for his father on July 9 in Mashhad. Prolonged isolation is fueling rumors in Iranian society about his physical weakness or possible death.
The New York Times and The Washington Post report a deep split within the Iranian leadership. The country's new leadership has become more rigid: key positions have been filled by individuals from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In particular, Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr took over as Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, and Ahmad Vahidi became the new IRGC commander-in-chief.
However, the group of "pragmatists," which includes President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, continues to fight for influence and advocates for a cessation of hostilities. According to NYT sources, it was this group that pushed through the decision for direct negotiations with US Vice President J.D. Vance and the signing of an agreement with the Donald Trump administration.
In the final stage of negotiations, President Pezeshkian issued an ultimatum to the new supreme leader, threatening to resign if the peace agreement was not approved, as an American naval blockade would completely paralyze Iran's economy. This course continues to be strongly opposed by the conservative wing, which considers any concessions to Washington unacceptable and accuses the government of preparing a coup d'état.
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