Thousands of faithful pay tribute to Ali Khamenei at his funeral prayer in Tehran
via SeneNews7 min read
Iran continued its national mourning on Sunday, July 5, 2026, with tens of thousands of faithful gathering in Tehran's Grand Mosalla complex for a funeral prayer honoring Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The ceremony, led by Ayatollah Ja'far Sobhani, highlighted the presence of nearly all of the country's highest officials, including President Massoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and General Esmaïl Qaani, commander of the Quds Force. Notably absent was Mojtaba Khamenei, designated to succeed his father as Supreme Leader, who was reportedly injured during Israeli-American strikes on February 28 that resulted in Ali Khamenei's death. His three brothers, Massoud, Mostafa, and Meysam, were present. The event, held in temperatures exceeding 35°C, saw a massive crowd carrying Iranian flags and red banners, symbolizing vengeance and justice. Volunteers distributed water and refreshments, and many carried portraits of Ali Khamenei. The authorities declared Sunday and Monday public holidays to allow participation in the ceremonies, estimating that between 15 and 20 million people could gather in Tehran. Beyond religious homage, the funeral carries significant political weight, occurring as Iran engages in negotiations with the United States to end a conflict that began in February. Following a procession in Tehran, Ali Khamenei's coffin will be transported to Qom, then to Iraq, before his burial on Thursday in his hometown of Mashhad. Ali Khamenei, who died at
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A video widely shared on social media, attributing statements to former French international Zinedine Zidane, has sparked controversy online. The viral recording presents the former coach as commenting on the management of Senegal's national football team and technical choices made during the World Cup, specifically criticizing coach Pape Thiaw. The video claims Zidane stated, "For me, Senegal lost because of the coach's choices. How can you lead 2-0 and immediately remove the three midfielders who dominated the match? Pape Gueye, Iliman Ndiaye, and Habib Diarra gave balance to this team. These changes completely revived Belgium." He is also quoted saying, "Pape Thiaw does not have the level to coach this Senegal team." However, after verification, it has been confirmed that the video is manipulated content, a deepfake using artificial intelligence to imitate Zidane's image and voice. None of these statements were authentically made by him. The widely circulated video is out of context and manipulated. It is not a recent statement related to the World Cup or a match analysis, but an old excerpt from an institutional intervention where Zidane participated in an activity related to the United Nations Development Programme UNDP as a goodwill ambassador. The original video contains no comments about Senegal, a recent competition, or a national technical staff. The elements currently circulating on social media are an editorial montage that superimposed subtitles and audio narrati
Must ReadThe Diomaye Président coalition in Saint-Louis has publicly affirmed its strong support for President Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his proposed referendum. During a general assembly, local officials not only reiterated their political alignment but also criticized Ousmane Sonko's constitutional revision initiatives, viewing them as potentially destabilizing to the current institutional balance. Ousmane Ndiaye, the Secretary General of the departmental coordination, highlighted the increasing public adherence in Saint-Louis to the President's policies, indicating a growing political base. The coalition aims to translate this momentum into electoral success in upcoming local elections, with the goal of winning all five communes and the departmental council. They view the referendum as crucial for consolidating the institutional framework and legitimizing national directions. Concurrently, the Saint-Louis coordination strongly criticized Ousmane Sonko's constitutional revision efforts, questioning their political legitimacy and accusing him of attempting to impose an institutional direction without national consensus. Ndiaye specifically referred to Sonko as a "fake President of the National Assembly," stating that his project "will not pass" and that it is unacceptable for "one million nine hundred thousand votes to decide the future of over nineteen million Senegalese," further accusing Sonko of seeking to "muzzle the President of the Republic within the parliament."
Following Senegal's elimination from the World Cup by Belgium, midfielder Pape Gueye announced a temporary withdrawal from the national team, citing frustration with the technical staff. His statement, "I will come back to tell you a few words about the elimination... but I announce today that as long as this technical staff is in place, I will take a break from the national team," has sparked debate. Sports journalist Mansour Loum clarified that Gueye's criticism is not aimed at head coach Pape Thiaw, but rather at an influential staff member believed to be dictating poor choices to the coach. Loum stated on Match 360, "Pape Gueye is indeed targeting someone, but it's not Pape Thiaw. He is criticizing a staff member whom he believes has too much influence over the coach, to the point of having dictated bad choices to him."