Iran in July 2026: the most important developments in society
In July 2026 Iran held the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who had been assassinated. Mourning began in Tehran with events expected to draw up to 20 million people, and on July 4 a procession was set to run over six days from Tehran to Mashhad. On July 5 millions of mourners filled the streets of Tehran, chanting "Death to America, Death to Israel", and a speaker called for the killing of President Donald Trump. A 97-year-old Grand Ayatollah led the funeral prayer. His son Mojtaba Khamenei did not attend. The procession also passed through Qom, and on July 8 millions of mourners attended processions in the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala. Khamenei was buried at the shrine in Mashhad on July 9, before huge crowds, and some banners read "We will kill Trump". Iranian state media reported millions of mourners, while other reports said the full picture may be more complex. Iran's president and foreign minister faced criticism for not being uncompromising enough over the US ceasefire deal. Reports of American attendees at the ceremony drew anger in Washington.
Human rights organizations reported that Iran stepped up executions of political prisoners and protesters during July, and a hunger strike began on death row, with protests against executions in Isfahan. Members of the Baha'i minority faced growing pressure and accusations of spying for Israel. A British couple jailed in Iran continued a hunger strike, and a couple of wildlife activists were rearrested. Disabled Iranians were reported to be losing state benefit payments as the state prioritized war spending. Protesters in Tehran displayed a depiction of Trump in a coffin.
On July 30 the news agency Tasnim reported that its X accounts had been suspended.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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