Viral video of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral after death in US-Israeli airstrike

RATING JUSTIFICATION

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan conducted a reverse image search and a keyword search to trace the original video.

Multiple users and accounts across social media platforms since March 2, 2026, were sharing an alleged video of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral after he was killed in air strikes by the United States and Israel. However, the video is actually of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral in Beirut, Lebanon.

Khamenei, who ruled the Islamic Republic for over 30 years, was killed in a strike in the early hours of February 28, 2026, by the US and Israel — the two countries that had been calling for regime change in Tehran.

Iran called the strikes unprovoked and illegal and responded with missiles fired at Israel and at least seven other countries, including Gulf states that host US bases, while vowing revenge for Khamenei’s assassination.

HOW IT STARTED

On March 2, Pakistani news channel City 21 shared a video on its official TikTok account, allegedly showing Khamenei’s funeral with the following caption: “Goodbye, great leader. The world will always remember you for your courage, perseverance, and bravery. You preferred martyrdom to a life of slavery, And proved that a dignified death is far better than a life of humiliation.

“Your name will be written in golden letters in the pages of history!! … Farewell, great leader: your bravery in history. A final farewell to the great leader, who will always be remembered for his courage and bravery.”

The post gained 121.9 million views.

Another user shared the same video on Instagram with the following caption: “Funeral - Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, died at age 86 following reported joint US-Israeli military strikes. Khamenei had led Iran since 1989 and was the country’s most powerful political and religious figure. His death marks a major turning point for Iran and the Middle East.”

The post gained 45,000 views.

A pro-PTI account posted the same clip with a similar caption on Facebook, accumulating 11,000 views.

The clip with a similar context was shared by several other users on Instagram, as can be seen here, here, here, here, and here; on TikTok, as can be seen here; on Facebook, as can be seen here and here; on X, as can be seen here, here, here, and here; collectively gaining 103,000 views.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and keen public interest in developments related to Khamenei.

A keyword search was conducted to corroborate whether any credible and mainstream international or Iranian news outlets had reported the supreme leader’s funeral or shared the video, but yielded no results.

Instead, a Dunya News report was found dated March 4, 2026, titled “Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to be laid to rest in Mashhad”.

As per the news report, Iranian media confirmed that funeral prayers would be first held in Tehran before the burial. The main mourning ceremony is scheduled to take place at Imam Khomeini Hall in Tehran till Friday. However, the exact date for the burial in Mashhad has not yet been officially announced.

Meanwhile, a news report from The Sunday Guardian dated March 4, 2026, stated that his funeral might take place on March 6, 2026.

A reverse image search of the keyframes yielded a France 24 English YouTube video, titled: “Tens of thousands join mass funeral for slain Hezbollah leader Nasrallah”, dated February 23, 2025.

In the YouTube video, thousands of people can be seen attending the funeral of Hezbollah’s slain chief Nasrallah, nearly five months after he was killed in an Israeli airstrike on September 27, 2024.

Comparing the France 24 English video with the viral clip showed they’re similar. The viral video shows a black billboard at the top centre at the seven-second mark, which is also visible in the YouTube video at the 1:17-minute mark with a yellow background.

Additionally, the YouTube video also shows two caskets at the 4:30-minute mark, similar to the 3:03-second mark of the viral video.

Nasrallah’s funeral was also covered by several international news outlets, such as Al Jazeera English, SKY News and Guardian News.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that a viral video shows Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral after his death in a US-Israeli airstrike is false.

The video shows the February 2025 funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut, Lebanon. Khamenei’s funeral has also not taken place as of yet.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES:

Mar 4, 2026, Duniya News report:
https://dunyanews.tv/en/World/938638-ayatollah-ali-khamenei-to-be-laid-to-rest-in-mashhad

Mar 4, 2026, The Sunday Guardian news report:
https://sundayguardianlive.com/world/ayatollah-ali-khamenei-funeral-when-where-he-will-be-buried-check-the-date-place-time-successor-mojtaba-khamenei-confirmed-everything-you-need-to-know-173907/

Feb 23, 2025, France 24 English YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o49OEoTo3Eo

Feb 23, 2025, Al Jazeera English YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tFeMGOiuk4

Feb 23, 2025, Sky News YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2PlV8XZhio

Feb 23, 2025, Guardian News YouTube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bp0oYMy8ijI