Iran's dayslong funeral ceremonies for Ali Khamenei have become a public test of the Islamic Republic's cohesion after months of war, succession uncertainty and stalled diplomacy with the United States.

Senior officials appeared in Tehran on Sunday for funeral prayers for the former supreme leader, who was killed in a February airstrike during the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, according to Associated Press reporting from the ceremony. The mourning events have drawn large crowds and prominent anti-U.S. and anti-Israel messages, including calls for revenge.

The ceremony is not only a ritual of state mourning. It is also a stage on which Iran's leadership is trying to project continuity. The most sensitive absence remains Mojtaba Khamenei, Ali Khamenei's son and successor as supreme leader, whose public status has not been fully clarified. AP reported that other Khamenei sons attended funeral prayers, while Mojtaba had not appeared publicly amid reports that he was wounded in the same strike.

The funeral has also slowed diplomacy. Talks involving the United States and Iran, including efforts tied to the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear de-escalation, have paused while the ceremonies continue. No reliable public record yet establishes the date, location or agenda for the next round.

The Strait of Hormuz remains central because any prolonged disruption there would carry consequences far beyond the Gulf. The waterway is a vital route for global energy exports, and reduced confidence in shipping security can quickly feed into insurance costs, tanker routing and crude prices.

For Tehran, the funeral is a moment of mobilisation at home. For Washington and regional governments, it is a reminder that diplomacy is now moving through emotional politics, unclear succession dynamics and military risk.