Iran announces funeral schedule for late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei

TEHRAN: Funeral ceremonies for Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will begin in early July, with events planned in several major cities before his final burial in Mashhad, Iranian state media announced on Saturday.

According to official reports, the funeral programme will commence in Tehran on July 4, followed by additional ceremonies in the holy city of Qom on July 7. Khamenei will be laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his hometown, on July 9.

State media said the ceremonies had originally been planned for March but were postponed because of the regional conflict involving the United States and Israel.

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Ali Khamenei, who had led Iran since 1989 following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, was reported to have been killed in a joint US-Israeli air strike on his compound in February.

During more than three decades in power, Khamenei played a central role in shaping Iran’s political system, strengthening its ideological institutions and expanding the influence of its military and paramilitary organisations.

Following his reported death, attention has turned to the question of succession. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has remained largely out of public view during the conflict, although some reports suggest he has assumed a greater behind-the-scenes role as Iran continues sensitive diplomatic engagements with the United States following the recent ceasefire.