Iran Begins Massive Funeral for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, World Leaders Gather

State Funeral Begins in Tehran

Representatives from more than 100 countries are expected to attend the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, which started on Friday, with Khamenei having been killed aged 86 in a joint United States-Israeli air strike on his compound on February 28, the first day of the US-Israel war on Iran. The elaborate ceremony marks a major moment for Iran's government as it honors its fallen leader after months of delay due to ongoing military conflict.

Scale and Historical Significance

The proceedings will mark one of the largest public funerals in modern history, its scale and size expected to surpass the 1989 funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which drew about 10 million mourners. The funeral will serve as a test for Iran's battered theocracy and its ability to summon a mass show of support, particularly as the funeral comes six months after security forces' crackdown on nationwide protests against Khamenei's rule.

Week-Long Ceremony Schedule

The commemoration will begin in Tehran on Friday, and funeral ceremonies and processions will run for seven days, with religious rites planned in cities across Iran and Iraq. On Saturday and Sunday, public ceremonies will take place in Tehran, and the coffin of Khamenei alongside several of his family members will be placed in the Grand Mosalla, one of Iran's largest prayer complexes, for public viewing. On Monday and Tuesday, the funeral processions will move southwards towards the Iranian city of Qom. On Wednesday, an official reception will be held at Najaf International Airport in Iraq, followed by public processions in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala, and the body will then return to Iran for the final burial ceremony at the shrine of Imam Reza in the northeastern city of Mashhad on Friday.

Security and Succession Concerns

It remains unclear whether Khamenei's son, Iran's new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, will make his first public appearance during the ceremonies, as the younger Khamenei, believed to have been wounded in the attack that killed his father, remains in hiding. Iran's current supreme leader and son of Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, will not be attending the funeral, his representative to India said on Thursday, due to security reasons following Israel's latest threat to assassinate Mojtaba Khamenei.