Update on Khamenei's Funeral: Iran to Hold Large-Scale Farewell Ceremony

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, is reported to be buried in Mashhad, the holy city. Before his burial, the Iranian government will hold a large-scale farewell ceremony in Tehran.

The plan was announced by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) via its official Telegram account, although the announcement did not include a schedule for Khamenei’s funeral.

‘The farewell ceremony will be held in Tehran before the burial procession,’ the IRGC wrote, cited by AFP on Wednesday 4 March 2026.

Khamenei died in a wave of US–Israeli attacks at the age of 86, after leading Iran for 36 years. He was from Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city, which is also the site of his father’s grave in the Imam Reza shrine complex.

Following Khamenei’s death, power is being temporarily exercised by a three-member Transition Council until the Assembly of Experts selects a new Supreme Leader. The council comprises the president, the head of the judiciary, and a legal expert from the Guardian Council, the body that oversees legislation and screens electoral candidates.

Quoting an official familiar with the process, Fars reported that ‘for security reasons’ the Assembly of Experts’ final meeting could be postponed until after Khamenei’s funeral.

Several Iranian media outlets also reported that the Assembly of Experts building in the holy city of Qom was attacked on Tuesday in the intensifying wave of US–Israeli attacks. Meanwhile, the main headquarters of the institution in Tehran were reportedly targeted a day earlier.