Iran Announces Funeral Dates for Former Leader Ali Khamenei

Iranian officials have finally set dates for the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28, 2026, during a joint US-Israeli airstrike. The ceremonies are scheduled from July 4 to July 9, according to a statement from the committee organizing the events. Khamenei's body will lie in state at the Tehran Mosalla on July 4 and 5. A funeral procession in Tehran is set for July 6, followed by a ceremony in the holy city of Qom on July 7. The burial will take place on July 9 at the shrine of the eighth Shia imam in Mashhad, after a procession through Iran's second-largest city.

The nearly four-month gap between Khamenei's death and the announcement of funeral dates has fueled speculation and criticism. Social media users, particularly regime critics, mocked the delay, questioning why the funeral had not been held sooner. While officials have not provided a clear explanation, security concerns are believed to be a major factor. Organizing a large-scale ceremony, potentially attended by millions, requires extensive security and logistical preparations. During the 2020 funeral of Qasem Soleimani, a crowd crush killed at least 56 people.

Authorities have said that several million people could attend Khamenei's funeral. Some groups from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other countries have expressed readiness to come, and Iraqi officials even suggested moving the body to Najaf and Karbala before burial in Iran. Interestingly, the funeral of Ali Larijani, another high-ranking official killed in the war, has already taken place. Meanwhile, Khamenei's successor and son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared in public since being named as the new leader, and it remains unclear if he will attend the funeral.