Ali Khamenei's Funeral Procession to be Held Across Three Major Iranian Cities in Late June

The Iranian government has officially announced the schedule for the funeral procession of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani stated that the farewell ceremony for the figure he referred to as a ‘martyr’ is likely to be held at the end of June or the beginning of July. This decision was made after considering the religious calendar and the domestic security situation. ‘The funeral procession will be held after the first ten days of Muharram (beginning 16 June) and will take place during the second ten days of the month,’ Zakani said, as quoted by the Iranian news channel SNN on Friday (12/6/2026). The four-month delay in the burial was caused by a military escalation that intensified throughout March. Ongoing air strikes at the time forced authorities to postpone the farewell ceremony to ensure the safety of the mourning crowds. Amid the funeral preparations, global attention is focused on the late leader’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has been selected as the new Supreme Leader of Iran. Although he has issued several official statements through state media, Mojtaba has yet to make a physical public appearance since his appointment. Deputy Mayor of Tehran, Mohammad Amin Tavakkoli-Zadeh, added that cross-city coordination is underway to accommodate the millions of citizens predicted to flood the streets of Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad to pay their final respects to the leader who held power for decades. The situation in Iran is currently reported to be under a ceasefire with the United States and Israel since 8 April, although sporadic tensions persist at several border points.