Massive mourning processions and official memorial ceremonies for the funeral of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have begun in Tehran, Al Jazeera and The New York Times report.
He was killed on February 28, 2026, in joint US-Israeli air strikes. The state funeral was postponed for months due to the ensuing military conflict, and today the ceremonies are taking place against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire and indirect talks in Doha.
Iranian authorities say they expect up to 20 million people to join the processions. The country has declared six days of national mourning and three days of non-working holidays, starting officially on July 4.
The official commemoration with foreign leaders begins on Friday, July 3. After farewell ceremonies in Tehran (July 4-5) and a grand procession on July 6, the coffin will pass through the holy city of Qom (July 7), visit Shiite shrines in Iraq (July 8) and end with a funeral on July 9 in Mashhad.
On the eve of the mourning events, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghai made harsh accusations. He said that Washington demonstrated “complete contempt for true peace and security in West Asia“. The Iranian military also warned the US and Israel of “decisive response“ to any provocations during the mourning period.
Officials from nearly 100 countries will attend the ceremonies. Those who confirmed their attendance include Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, and delegations from China and India. European countries have not been invited.
Large posters of the new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei (son of the late Ayatollah) who took power on March 8, 2026, have already been put up in Tehran.