What to expect ahead of Khamenei's funeral: Six days of mourning across Iran and Iraq
The supreme leader's coffin is already on display in Tehran as Iran stages a carefully orchestrated multi-day ceremony
Iran is preparing for a six-day funeral for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, beginning Saturday, July 4, until his burial on July 9. Ceremonies throughout Iran are expected to draw millions of mourners from across the country. Khamenei, 86, was killed alongside several family members in joint US-Israel strikes on the opening day of the war on February 28.
His coffin, along with those of his eldest daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and 14-month-old granddaughter, were placed on display Friday at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, where religious figures from Afghanistan, Indonesia and other countries were among the first to pay their respects.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
The funeral will proceed over six days across several locations. Saturday and Sunday's ceremonies will be held at the Grand Mosalla Mosque in Tehran. Then Khamenei's casket will be taken through the streets of Tehran on Monday to Qom, one of Iran's most important centers for Shia Muslim clerics, for a ceremony on Tuesday. The procession will move to Iraq on Wednesday, with stops in Karbala and other Iraqi cities. Lastly, it will return to Iran for a final day of mourning on Thursday. Khamenei will be buried at the Imam Reza shrine in the holy city of Mashhad.
A central question looming over the funeral is whether Mojtaba Khamenei, the new supreme leader, will make his first public appearance since the war began. Mojtaba is believed to have been seriously wounded in the February 28 strike that killed his father, mother, and wife, and has communicated with supporters only through written statements.
Iranian officials have claimed he is directing negotiations with Washington, but when asked about his attendance, the head of the funeral organizing authority deflected, saying the decision "lies entirely with the leader's office."
Additionally, IRGC general Ahmad Vahidi, who is believed to be part of a small group in direct contact with the new supreme leader, has emerged from hiding for the first time since February 8 to attend funeral preparations.
Iranian negotiators have paused diplomacy and left Doha ahead of the funeral, with Qatar saying US-Iran talks will resume after the ceremonies. Iran's army warned the US and Israel against launching attacks during the procession. Nevertheless, US Central Command announced that a second Marine Expeditionary Unit of more than 2,000 troops is now operating in the Middle East.
Among the foreign dignitaries attending are Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif, China's He Wei, vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, and India's deputy foreign minister. Sharif has played a pivotal role in the mediation between the US and Iran, which helped create the MoU currently in place between the two adversarial nations. Iran said it expected guests from around 100 countries, though few heads of state are attending.