A senior Houthi representative has claimed that the late former Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, became a target of the United States and Israel because of his unwavering support for the Palestinian cause and his influence throughout the Muslim world. According to Iran's official IRNA news agency, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of Ansarullah's Political Bureau, made the remarks during an interview in Tehran on Sunday while attending memorial and funeral events for Khamenei.

Al-Bukhaiti described Khamenei as a figure whose influence reached well beyond Iran, portraying him as a symbol of resistance, freedom, and independence for people seeking liberation from what he called American and Israeli dominance. He said Khamenei's legacy would continue to inspire people across the world and argued that his commitment to the Palestinian struggle, along with the spread of his political and ideological vision across the Muslim world, was a key reason behind what he alleged was his assassination by the United States and Israel.

Iran's state broadcaster Press TV reported that funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Khamenei began early Monday morning in Tehran. The procession started from the Grand Mosalla religious complex, where his body had been lying in state for two days, and is expected to continue for 10 to 12 hours. Officials anticipate millions of mourners will participate in the procession, which follows a nearly 10-kilometre route through several major streets and public squares in the Iranian capital. Iranian media described the event as one of the largest public gatherings in the country's modern history.

On Sunday, Grand Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani led funeral prayers for Khamenei and several members of his family, including his son-in-law Dr. Mesbah-ul-Hoda Bagheri-Kani, his daughter Zahra Haddad-Adel, his young granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi-Golpayegani, and Seyyedeh Bushra Hosseini-Khamenei.

Press TV said the ceremonies will continue in the holy city of Qom on Tuesday before moving to the Iraqi shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala on Wednesday. Khamenei's burial is scheduled for Thursday, July 9, at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, in accordance with his reported wishes. Iranian media also reported that official delegations from numerous countries—including Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Tajikistan, Turkey, and several others—arrived in Tehran to pay tribute to the late leader.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, an event that significantly escalated tensions across West Asia. His death prompted massive funeral gatherings in Tehran, where Iranian political and military leaders vowed to uphold his legacy and seek accountability for those they blame for the attack. Following Khamenei's death, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, assumed the position of Iran's Supreme Leader. According to Al Jazeera, he is expected to remain absent from the six-day funeral events because of heightened security concerns amid ongoing threats from Israel.