Public mourning ceremonies in Iran commenced on Saturday for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the nation’s supreme leader. This weeklong observance follows Shiite Islamic traditions and is expected to attract tens of millions of mourners as the procession travels across Iran and into Iraq.
According to Iranian state media, the funeral procession will pass through at least five cities. It will start in Tehran over the weekend and conclude in Iran’s holiest city, Mashhad, by Thursday. Mashhad holds significance as Ayatollah Khamenei’s birthplace. The procession will also stop at sacred Shiite shrines along the way.
The mourning events began on Friday when foreign leaders visited Tehran’s Grand Mosalla, the site where Ayatollah Khamenei’s body lies in state. This venue, a large prayer complex, is notable as the location where he delivered key addresses throughout his three decades as Iran’s supreme leader. Ayatollah Khamenei died on February 28 at the onset of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The conflict delayed his funeral for several months.
Ayatollah Khamenei held a prominent role under Iran’s theocratic governance, ranking high in both political and religious contexts. His passing holds special spiritual weight for his Shiite followers both in Iran and the broader region.
The funerary rituals scheduled for the week present a significant logistical challenge for Iran’s government. These ceremonies occur amid an ongoing conflict with the United States and during intense summer heat.
It remains uncertain if Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son and successor, will participate in the ceremonies. He sustained injuries in an airstrike at the same time his father was killed and has not appeared publicly since then.
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