According to reports from Iran, attendees at the funeral of Ali Khamenei and his family members threw pieces of cloth — including scarves, handkerchiefs, and flags — toward the coffins so that security personnel could rub them against the bodies, a practice believed in Shia tradition to confer blessing. The custom is also observed at funerals of lower-ranking martyrs.
On Tuesday afternoon, new reports from Iranian Telegram channels described a Shia funeral custom observed at the funerals of late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his family members: attendees threw pieces of cloth — scarves, handkerchiefs, and flags — toward the coffins so that security personnel could rub them against the bodies, a practice believed in Shia tradition to confer blessing. The custom is said to be common at funerals of martyrs of all ranks.
Previous reporting by The Zioneer documented the funeral's escalating incitement: on Monday, July 6, at 15:49 Jerusalem, we reported that millions lined Tehran streets on the third day of mourning with chants against U.S. President Trump, following an earlier report of incitement against Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. The same thread noted a final mass demonstration with calls for revenge and trampling of Trump pictures. The source quality for this thread has relied on Iranian channel reports and Channel 14, with no on-record official confirmation.
Context from The Zioneer's prior coverage (July 6, 21:01 Jerusalem) includes an unverified Iranian Telegram post describing some women celebrating Khamenei's death and distributing candy at the funeral, contrasting with the dominant theme of mass incitement seen in other reports.
The authenticity of the cloth-rubbing reports could not be independently verified. The reports rely on Iranian Telegram channels, and no official Iranian state media confirmation or photographic evidence has been cited in the available material.
4 developments
- StrongRed revenge flag draped over Khamenei's coffin at burial site
- DevelopingWater trucks deployed to spray mourners at Khamenei funeral in Tehran
- DevelopingGroup of Muslims from India traveling to Iran for Khamenei's funeral; US braces for retaliation
- DevelopingShiites in Bahrain hold symbolic funeral procession for Khamenei amid crackdown
Source and signal
- Internal intake