Iran begins funeral rites for Khamenei; tens of millions expected to mourn.
The funeral ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei officially began in Iran after being postponed for nearly four months due to the fighting. The massive six-day ceremony is expected to attract tens of millions of mourners, with tight security measures in place.
July 4, 2026 - Iran has begun a six-day funeral ceremony for... Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran The former US Prime Minister, who ruled the country for more than four decades and died on the first day of the war between the United States and Israel in February, is expected to have tens of millions of people attend his funeral, requiring high levels of security measures.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
news agency CNBC RThe report says that... Khamenei's funeral rites will begin on July 4th and end on July 9th, with the funeral procession passing through Tehran, Qom, Najaf, Karbala, and culminating in Mashhad, Iran's holiest city, for the burial.
Sanam Waqil, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at... Chatham House In an interview with CNBC, he stated that the funeral would be “an expression of grief over the continuation of the regime and its tightly planned state control.”
She said the ceremony had been postponed for months due to the fighting, tens of millions of people are expected to mourn, and the ceremony could reveal the tensions hidden beneath the surface of society.
The Iranian government is expected to implement the strictest security measures ever, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) overseeing overall security, while the Basij paramilitary force will be responsible for transportation, accommodation, and crowd management in each city the funeral procession passes through.
Khamenei's final burial place is the holy city of Mashhad, his birthplace. This city is of great importance to Shia Islam and is also the burial place of his father, who also served as Ayatollah.
The funeral was designed to be both a national and a religious ceremony, encompassing the most important Shia holy sites in both Iran and Iraq.
Alex Watanga, a senior researcher from... Middle East Institute He told CNBC, "Basically, this is a political activity presented in the guise of a religious ceremony. The goal is to legitimize the government to the domestic population and create a deterrent against opponents abroad."
Image from https://en.irna.ir/service/Photo
The route and schedule for Khamenei's funeral.
date 4 July 5: Tehran
The farewell ceremony for the public will begin at the Mosalla prayer center in Tehran at approximately 6:00 AM local time. This location has always been the center for religious ceremonies and funerals of important figures of the Islamic Republic.
date July 6: Tehran
The main funeral procession will move from Imam Hussein Square to Azadi Square, or Freedom Square, a distance of approximately 10 kilometers, after the funeral prayers for Khamenei and his deceased family members have been held.
Alireza Saghani, Mayor of Tehran. It was revealed that the number of participants could reach 20 million people, potentially becoming the largest gathering in the city's history.
date July 7th: Qom (City of Qom))
The funeral procession will then proceed to Qom, considered the spiritual and educational center of Shia Islam in Iran. The ceremony will take place between the Shrine of Fatima Masoumeh and the Jamkaran Mosque, two of the most important holiest sites for the Twelver Shia school of thought.
date July 8: Najaf and Karbala, Iraq.
Khamenei's body will be transported to Iraq for funeral rites in Najaf and Karbala, the locations of the tombs of Imam Ali and Imam Hussein, two of the holiest figures of the Shia Muslims.
Iranian officials coordinated with the Iraqi government in preparing for the entire ceremony.
date July 9: Mashhad
Khamenei will be buried in Mashhad, his birthplace and the holiest city in Iran.
This city is home to the mausoleum of Imam Reza, the eighth Imam of the Shia sect, and is a major pilgrimage site for millions of Shia Muslims. It is also the birthplace of Khamenei and the burial place of his father. Iranian authorities estimate that between 8 and 10 million people will attend the burial.
Image from https://en.irna.ir/service/Photo
Who will be attending the funeral??
news agency Tasnim News Agency reported this week. Quoting: Ali Akbar Purjamchidian, a high-ranking official of... IRGC More than 30 countries have officially requested to send representatives to the ceremony. The Pakistani government has confirmed its participation, while the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that He Wei, a high-ranking member of the Chinese legislature, will attend.
However, to date, no Gulf Arab government has officially announced that it will send its head of state, foreign minister, or high-ranking official to participate.
news agency Fars News Agency of Iran Reports on Wednesday indicated that high-ranking Iraqi officials, including...president Nizar Amedy I will be attending the ceremony as well.
In theory Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's new Supreme Leader. He would undoubtedly want to appear in public to mourn his father along with the rest of the nation. However, since taking office following his father's death, he has never made a public appearance. Analysts believe that his appearance at the ceremony would be interpreted as a show of strength by the Iranian government against the United States.
Neysan Rafati, a senior analyst on Iran at... Crisis Group He said, "Moving forward, significant challenges lie ahead in governing the country, including deep-seated economic problems, public discontent, the risk of renewed conflict, and the fact that the new top leader is virtually inexperienced and has yet to appear in public."
Image from https://en.irna.ir/service/Photo
Large-scale security operation.
The scale of this funeral has prompted the Iranian government to develop meticulous security plans. Iranian officials have stated that several highways around Tehran will be converted into temporary parking areas, while schools, mosques, universities, and stadiums will be used to accommodate travelers from across the country. Furthermore, numerous flights are expected to be affected, and travel in and out of major cities will be under strict controls.
The Iranian government hopes that a major security incident similar to the one that occurred during the inauguration ceremony will not be repeated.president Masoud Pesekyan In July 2024, at that time... Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas. He was assassinated inside a military guesthouse in Tehran while attending the ceremony.
refer: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/04/-khamenei-funeral-procession-route.html
Photos showing the atmosphere at Khamenei's funeral: https://en.irna.ir/service/Photo
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