Daijiworld Media Network – Tehran
Tehran, Mar 6: Thousands of Iranian worshippers gathered in Tehran and several other cities for the first Friday prayers since the United States-Israel war on Iran began a week ago, with many carrying portraits of assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Crowds assembled for midday prayers during the holy month of Ramadan, chanting anti-US and anti-Israel slogans despite continued bombardment of the capital, according to reports from journalists on the ground. Iranian flags were waved as worshippers expressed support for the government amid the escalating conflict.
Images shared by Iranian media showed large numbers of men and women dressed in black heading towards an open area outside the Grand Mosque of Imam Khomeini in Tehran. In one video, a speaker addressing the crowd through a loudspeaker mourned Khamenei, describing him as “the embodiment of piety and guardianship in our time”, while many worshippers seated on prayer rugs were seen weeping.
Photographs also showed demonstrations breaking out after the prayers, with crowds marching in protest against the US-Israeli military campaign.
Similar gatherings were reported from several cities across Iran, including Ilam and Borujerd in the west and Zahedan in the southeast, according to reports.
The prayers took place as waves of US and Israeli strikes continued to target Tehran and other Iranian cities. The escalation followed warnings from US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the bombardment would “surge dramatically”.
Recent strikes in Tehran reportedly hit a military academy and locations near a street housing key political offices where Khamenei was killed earlier in the conflict. Residential buildings, car parks and petrol stations were also reportedly damaged.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military continued attacks in southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut, displacing large numbers of civilians after issuing evacuation warnings in several targeted areas.
Across the Gulf region, countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have also faced Iranian drone or missile attacks in retaliation, largely due to the presence of US or Israeli facilities.
In occupied East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities cancelled Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site. Israel’s Civil Administration said the decision was taken following Iran’s retaliatory strikes targeting Israel and the wider region.
However, Palestinian religious authorities criticised the move, saying access to the mosque is frequently restricted. Sheikh Ikrima Sabri, a senior imam at Al-Aqsa, said the authorities were “exploiting any occasion to close Al-Aqsa”, calling the decision unjustified.