According to Iranian state media, envoys from the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas were among foreign delegations participating in ceremonies honoring Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 in a U.S.-Israeli strike that also claimed the lives of several members of his family and senior Iranian officials.

Iran has for years backed Hezbollah, Hamas and Yemen’s Houthi movement as part of a regional network it refers to as the “Axis of Resistance.” The United States and several Western countries designate Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis as terrorist organizations, and Iran’s support for those groups has contributed to longstanding international sanctions against Tehran.

Hezbollah said its delegation was headed by senior official and former Lebanese minister Mohammed Fneish. The group added that the delegation also included officials as well as relatives of members who had been killed or wounded.

Hamas said its delegation was led by Mohammed Darwish, head of the group’s political bureau, and included senior bureau members, among them Bassem Naim.

Representatives of other Iran-aligned groups also attended the ceremonies. Iranian state television reported that Palestinian Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ziyad Al-Nakhalah and senior Houthi official Dhaif Allah Al-Shami were present in Tehran.

The funeral comes nearly two years after the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’s then political leader, who died in Tehran in July 2024 in an Israeli operation after attending the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Most foreign officials and dignitaries paid their respects on Friday, while public funeral ceremonies continued on Saturday at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla religious complex, where large crowds gathered to honor Khamenei.

Khamenei served as Iran’s supreme leader from 1989 until his death at the age of 86, exercising ultimate authority over the country’s major political, military and strategic decisions throughout his tenure.

The funeral ceremonies have drawn domestic supporters, senior Iranian officials and foreign delegations from groups aligned with Tehran, reflecting Iran’s continued ties with regional allies despite months of heightened conflict across the Middle East.