Iran Prepares Grand Funeral for Ayatollah Khamenei
Iran is preparing to hold a grand funeral ceremony for its former Supreme Leader, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died during US and Israeli attacks in late February. Large-scale portraits of Khamenei have been erected at the Grand Mosalla complex in Tehran as workers prepare for the massive event.
Khamenei’s funeral, which had been delayed due to the escalation of war in the Middle East, will take place while Iran and the US are observing a ceasefire following the signing of a preliminary agreement to end the conflict, according to AFP on Wednesday (1/7/2026).
Khamenei, a spiritual figure for many Shia Muslims, passed away at the age of 86 at his residence in central Tehran on 28 February, the first day of the outbreak of war. The public funeral ceremony is scheduled to begin this coming Saturday (4/7). The remains of Khamenei will lie in state at the Grand Mosalla complex, officially known as the Imam Khomeini Mosella, in central Tehran, a site typically used for major Friday prayers, official ceremonies, and large religious gatherings in Iran. The remains of Khamenei’s family members, who also perished in the same attack, will also be laid to rest there.
According to Iranian officials, the funeral ceremony is expected to be attended by between 15 million and 20 million mourners, potentially making it the largest state funeral in the history of the Shia nation. Workers have been seen repainting the ceremony area, with a heavy police presence noted around the site. Iranian state television has shown workers welding metal structures, with cranes lifting construction materials around the complex.
An AFP journalist in Tehran reported that several lanes on the city’s main roads have been closed, further exacerbating already heavy traffic conditions. Tehran, along with the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad, will serve as the locations for the series of funeral and burial ceremonies for Khamenei. Public holidays have been declared for the duration of the proceedings, with Iranian authorities ordering government and private offices in the Tehran area to close from Saturday (4/7) to Monday (6/7).
Following the ceremonies in Tehran, Khamenei’s remains will be transported to Shia holy cities in Iraq, such as Najaf and Karbala, before finally being interred on 9 July at the Imam Reza Shrine complex in Mashhad, his birthplace.
The secretary of the funeral committee, Ali-Akbar Pourjamshidian, stated that a special event will be held on Friday (3/7) for foreign heads of state to pay their final respects. He estimates that representatives from 30 countries will attend.
Regarding the presence of Mojtaba Khamenei, it remains unconfirmed whether the current Supreme Leader and son of the late Ayatollah will attend the main ceremony in Tehran personally. Mojtaba, who was wounded in the US-Israel attack, has not appeared in public since his appointment as Supreme Leader. “The attendance of the Supreme Leader is not within my authority or knowledge. If there is a programme, it will certainly be announced by the Office of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution,” said Pourjamshidian.