Iran holds enormous victory parade with 1000’s spilling onto the streets of Tehran as ceasefire falls aside

Thousands of Iranians have gathered in the streets to commemorate the death of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei as hopes of a ceasefire with the US and Israel began to unravel.

Supporters of Khamenei held portraits of their deceased leader and waved the flags of the Islamic republic as they took part in rallies across the country after he died in the US-Israeli attack on February 28. 

The celebration marks a 40 day mourning period – an important rite of passage for Muslims – since the former leader’s death.

A huge gathering took place in the capital Tehran, where strikes have ceased since a fragile ceasefire came into effect on Tuesday night, as well as the northwest city of Urmia and northeast Gorgan.

But over a day since reaching an 11th hour agreement to halt attacks for two weeks, it looks on the verge of collapse, with major disagreements between the US, Israel and Iran over the terms of a deal.

The US and Israel have claimed the ceasefire does not include Lebanon, where Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a major ground and air invasion.

But Iran and mediators Pakistan said the peace plan included the ‘complete cessation of war in Iran, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen’. 

On Wednesday, Israel intensified its bombing campaign over Lebanon, killing 182 people as it claimed to hit more than 100 Hezbollah sites in some of the heaviest strikes of the war yet. 

Khamenei was 86 years old, having led the Islamic republic for more than 36 years, when he was killed in a strike on February 28. 

The attack marked the beginning of a conflict that subsequently engulfed the entire Middle East, with Iran retaliating with missile and drone attacks on Israel and Gulf nations it accuses of serving as launchpads for US strikes.

A state funeral for Khamenei was initially announced but could ultimately not be held because of the war.

His son Mojtaba, who succeeded him in early March, was not present on Thursday. He was wounded in a strike, according to Iranian officials, and has yet to appear in public since his appointment.

President Masoud Pezeshkian participated in the tribute and posed for photos with attendees, according to images broadcast on state television.

The national tribute began at 9.40 am (6.10 GMT), the same time that strikes killed Khamenei at his residence in Tehran along with dozens of high-ranking officers and officials.

Some Iranians taking part in the memorial claimed the agreement of a ceasefire between Iran and the US and Israel marked a ‘victory’ for the regime. 

Both sides have since claimed military triumph, with Trump hailing a ‘total and complete victory’ and Iran boasting of a ‘victory in the field’.

Yet disagreements over the terms of the deal began immediately. Trump has referred to a 15-point plan while the White House has added to confusion by suggesting the plan being discussed is not the ‘working framework’ received by the US. 

‘The leader is alive, he always prays for us and he is watching all of us now, and victory is definitely ours,’ said Nastaran Safaie, a 24-year-old university student attending the memorial march in Tehran.

Esmaeili said she has little hope for the negotiations expected to take place before the end of the week in Pakistan, accusing the Americans of acting in bad faith.

‘What they say about the ceasefire and its violation is a repetition of history,’ she said.

‘It should be a lesson for the honourable people of Iran not to be fooled by the empty promises of hypocritical countries.’

Others like Mahdi Mohaddes, a 41-year-old engineer, echoed her sentiment.

‘I hope this (the talks) doesn’t happen. If I were in the shoes of the officials, I would reconsider and not participate in these negotiations,’ he said.

Mohammad Hossein Bonakdar, a 44-year-old institute director, was thinking of Lebanon, where Israel killed more than 200 people on Wednesday in strikes unprecedented in its current war against Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

‘Everyone is very upset and sad and expects that appropriate action will be taken,’ he said.

‘But ultimately, any decision that the leadership of the revolution announces is obligatory and we will obey.’

Mohaddes, surrounded by Hezbollah flags, said the movement allied with Tehran has given ‘its life and blood’ to Iranians.

‘Now it is our duty to act in response to this aggression,’ he said.

Amid the confusion over the ceasefire deal, Vice President JD Vance, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to visit Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, for a first round of peace talks on Saturday. 

Meanwhile, Netanyahu has said he is seeking direct talks with Beirut, a day after the worst bombardment of the war killed more than 300 people in Lebanon. 

The Prime Minister said in a statement that he had given instructions to start peace talks as soon as possible, which would also include disarming Iran-aligned militant group Hezbollah.

‘In light of Lebanon’s repeated requests to open direct negotiations with Israel, I instructed the cabinet yesterday to start direct negotiations with Lebanon as soon as possible,’ he said. 

‘The negotiations will focus on disarming Hezbollah and establishing peaceful relations between Israel and Lebanon.’

An hour before Netanyahu’s statement, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he was working on a diplomatic track on this matter that was starting to be seen ‘positively’ by international actors.

A senior Lebanese official told Reuters that Lebanon had spent the last day pushing for a temporary ceasefire to allow for broader talks with Israel, describing the effort as a ‘separate track but the same model’ as the U.S.-Iran truce.