Iran Begins Week-Long State Funeral for Slain Supreme Leader Khamenei
Iran launched a multi-day state funeral ceremony for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in February during the US-Israeli war. Over 100 countries' delegations arrived in Tehran to pay respects, with massive ceremonies scheduled through July 9.
Khamenei's State Funeral Begins
A seven-day series of state funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has begun in Iran, with foreign delegations from more than 100 countries arriving to attend. Khamenei's body lay in state in a vast hall in Tehran on Friday as scholars, officials, foreign dignitaries and other mourners paid their respects after his 37-year rule, with the coffin laid in state in Tehran's Grand Mosalla.
Background and Scale
Khamenei was 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. It was originally scheduled to take place in Tehran and Mashhad from 4 to 6 March 2026 but was postponed due to the Iran war. 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.
International Attendance and Schedule
Delegations from around 100 countries, including heads of government, parliamentary speakers, foreign ministers, special envoys and other political delegations, are expected to attend the ceremonies. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the state funeral of Iran's former supreme leader. The main funeral procession in Tehran will happen on July 6, with the ceremony expected to begin at 6 a.m. local time, and the procession, which includes funeral prayers, will follow the 10-kilometer distance from Imam Hossein Square to Azadi Square.
Military Leadership and Regional Tensions
General Ahmad Vahidi, the recently appointed commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, on Friday made his first public appearance since February 8, sitting beside Khamenei's coffin, assuming the role after his predecessor Mohammad Pakpour was killed in US-Israeli strikes on the first day of the war. Denuclearization talks between the U.S. and Iran are on hold for a week as the Iranian government prepares a funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran, with the funeral expected to last from July 4 to July 9.