Iranians mourn Khamenei as they gather for first Friday prayers during war

Worshippers wave Iranian flags and chant slogans against the US and Israel, as they gather to pray amid attacks.Published On 6 Mar 2026Iranian worshippers, many holding portraits of the assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have gathered in Tehran and other cities for the first Friday prayers since the United States-Israeli war on the country began seven days ago.People chanted anti-US and anti-Israeli slogans as they gathered for midday prayers on Friday during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, undeterred by a ferocious bombardment on the capital, an Al Jazeera team on the ground reported.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Tehran hit by heavy bombing on day seven of US-Israel war on Iranlist 2 of 4More than 120 killed in Israel’s Lebanon attacks as Beirut, south, east hitlist 3 of 4Cost to US for war on Iran is $3.7bn in first 100 hours, says think tanklist 4 of 4Huge explosion seen in Tehran as strikes on Iran continueend of listIranian flags were also waved as people prepared to pray, in a sign of support for the Iranian government amid the ongoing strikes, including an attack in the early hours of the conflict that killed the supreme leader.Footage shared by Iranian media showed crowds of men and women dressed in black streaming to an open space outside the Grand Mosque of Imam Khomeini in the capital.In the background of one video, a man speaking through a loudspeaker mourned Khamenei, describing him as “the embodiment of piety and guardianship in our time,” while others, seated on prayer rugs, openly wept.Photographs showed worshippers marching in a demonstration against the US-Israeli war following prayers.A woman holds a picture of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as government supporters march against the US-Israeli war after Friday prayers at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque [Vahid Salemi/AP]Similar scenes were observed in footage from other cities across Iran, including Ilam and Borujerd in the west and Zahedan in the southeast, the AFP news agency reported.