TEHRAN – Iran has announced that former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be buried on July 9 in the holy city of Mashhad, more than four months after he was killed during the opening phase of the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States.
According to Iran’s state television, the funeral programme will begin on July 4 and conclude with Khamenei’s burial at the revered Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, his hometown and one of the most important sites in Shia Islam.
The announcement was made on Saturday and confirmed by several international media outlets, including Reuters.The funeral arrangements will span multiple cities and are expected to draw millions of mourners.
State media said farewell ceremonies will be held in Tehran on July 4 and July 5, followed by an official funeral procession in the capital on July 6. The ceremonies will then move to the religious city of Qom on July 7 before concluding in Mashhad on July 9.
Reuters reported that the programme reflects Khamenei’s central role in Iran’s political and religious life and comes amid efforts to restore stability following months of war.
Khamenei, who was 86, led the Islamic Republic for nearly 37 years after succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. During his tenure, he oversaw Iran’s transformation into a major regional power and maintained a firm anti-Western foreign policy while expanding Tehran’s influence across the Middle East through allied groups and regional partnerships, according to Reuters.Iranian authorities said Khamenei was killed on February 28 during the first wave of joint Israeli and United States airstrikes against Iran.
The strikes reportedly targeted key military and government installations, including Khamenei’s central compound in Tehran. International media reported that the attack marked one of the most significant moments in the conflict, triggering uncertainty over Iran’s political future.
State television noted that Khamenei’s burial had originally been scheduled for March but was postponed because of the ongoing war. Islamic tradition generally requires burial within 24 hours of death, but religious authorities can permit delays under exceptional circumstances such as armed conflict.
The announcement comes as regional tensions appear to be easing. Reuters reported on Saturday that Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Iran and the United States had agreed on a framework for a peace deal after more than three months of fighting, with an initial agreement expected to be signed soon.
Following Khamenei’s death, Iran’s Assembly of Experts appointed his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as the country’s new Supreme Leader. International media reports indicate that Mojtaba was injured during the same airstrike that killed his father and has largely remained out of public view since assuming office.
Discussion about this post