20 Million Mourners, 30 Nations, High Alert: Inside Ali Khamenei's Six-Day Funeral In Iran

Last Updated:July 03, 2026, 11:38 IST

Ali Khamenei, the longest-serving head of state in West Asia, was killed on February 28 in the coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iran that triggered a major conflict in the region

The funeral ceremonies for Iran’s slain Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will begin on July 4 and conclude with his burial in his hometown, the holy city of Mashhad, on July 9. The ceremony will also feature events in Qom, a holy city in the south of Tehran.

Ali Khamenei, the longest-serving head of state in West Asia, was killed on February 28 in the coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iran that triggered a major conflict in the region.

Ayatollah Khamenei Funeral LIVE

What You Need To Know

July 4-6: The six-day funeral ceremony for the late Iranian leader will commence in Tehran on Saturday, July 4. Khamenei’s body will be placed in state at the Grand Mosalla prayer complex for public viewing, followed by a major procession through the streets of Tehran on Monday, July 6, according to Al Jazeera. 

July 7: The funeral procession will then move to the holy city of Qom. Located about 140 kilometers southwest of Tehran, Qom is Iran’s foremost centre of Shia Islamic scholarship.

July 8: The procession will travel to the historic holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in neighbouring Iraq.

July 9: Ali Khamenei will be laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his hometown, Al Jazeera reported.

According to Iranian officials, between 15 to 20 million mourners are expected to attend the funeral procession spanning six days to bid a final farewell to their late leader. Speculating a heavy footfall at the events, authorities have issued a high alert across the country, especially the capital city of Tehran.

Earlier in the day, the body of Ali Khamenei was brought to Tehran’s Grand Mosalla complex ahead of the funeral as mourners gathered in the capital, singing ceremonial hymns and carrying Iranian flags, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported.

An initial visual –– featuring the casket holding the late Supreme Leader –– surfaced, depicting the coffin inside a room decked up with the colours of the country’s flag.

The body of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei being carried to the Grand Mosalla complex in Tehran | Image credit: AP

‘Nation’s Call For Vengeance’

Iran’s Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher-Ghalibaf has called for a massive turnout at the funeral procession of Ali Khamenei as a way to avenge the leader’s assassination. “The nation’s call for vengeance must ring in the ears of the whole world," Ghalibaf said.

The funeral is be the first major state ceremony under his successor and son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who will not participate in the events amid security concerns, his representative in India, Ayatollah Hakim Elahi, said.

Mojtaba, who was named Iran’s Supreme Leader after his father’s assassination, has remained out of public view ever since the war began in late February.

International Attendance

Delegations from around 90 nations have confirmed to be attending the funeral procession of Ali Khamenei in Tehran. Take a look at leaders who will participate in the event:

From India: Governor of Bihar Syed Ata Hasnain, Deputy Foreign Minister Pabitra Margherita, Former External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, Member of, Parliament (Congress) Pawan Khera, President of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party, Mehbooba Mufti and President of Jammu and Kashmir Anjuman-e-Sharie Shian, Aga Syed Hassan Mosavi Al Safavi, will attend the ceremony.

From Russia: Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council and former President, Dmitry Medvedev, will travel to Tehran to participate in the event.

From Tajikistan: President Emomali Rahmon will take part in the funeral ceremony of Iran’s slain leader.

Negotiations On Hold

Iran has paused the peace negotiations with the United States in view of Ali Khamenei’s funeral ceremony over the next six days, making it one of the closely watched global events.

According to Qatari mediators, the talks between the two sides will resume after July 9, the burial of Iran’s late leader. On Wednesday, Washington and Tehran engaged in indirect dialogue in Qatar’s Doha but neither of the sides indicated progress in the discussions.

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