Tehran, July 4: Iran has begun a six-day state funeral for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, 2026. Millions of mourners are expected to attend ceremonies across Tehran, Qom, Mashhad, and Iraq before his burial on July 9 in Mashhad.
The funeral opened in Tehran at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, where Khamenei’s coffin lies in state alongside family members who also died in the February strike. His coffin is draped with a flag from Karbala, symbolizing resistance and sacrifice.
On July 6, ceremonies will move to Qom, Iran’s religious capital, where clerics and seminary students will lead mourning rituals. On July 7 and 8, processions will be held in Najaf and Karbala, Iraq, highlighting Khamenei’s ties to Shiite holy sites. The final burial will take place on July 9 near the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, one of Shiite Islam’s holiest sites.
Delegations from over 100 countries are attending. India is represented by Minister of State Pabitra Margherita, Bihar Governor Syed Ata Hasnain, and Congress leader Salman Khurshid. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is present with a high-level delegation. Russia has sent former President Dmitry Medvedev as special envoy of President Putin, while China is represented by He Wei, Vice Chairman of the NPC Standing Committee. Leaders from Iraq, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Georgia, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad chief Ziyad al-Nakhalah are also participating.
The funeral was delayed for 131 days due to the ongoing war, with Khamenei’s body preserved under wartime religious exceptions until a ceasefire allowed ceremonies. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, formally succeeded him as Supreme Leader in March 2026.
The ceremonies mark the end of an era in Iran’s political and religious leadership, while also underscoring the country’s regional alliances and the symbolic weight of Khamenei’s legacy.
