Iran announces state funeral for Ali Khamenei from July 4 to 9

Iran announced that the funeral of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will begin on July 4 in Tehran before concluding with his burial on July 9 in the holy city of Mashhad, state media reported Saturday.

Khamenei was killed on February 28 in the first airstrikes against Iran by the United States and Israel. Aged 86, he had led the Islamic Republic since 1989 and was one of the most influential political and religious figures in the Middle East.

According to Iranian authorities, several official ceremonies will be held across the country. A major tribute is planned for July 7 in the holy city of Qom, an important center of Shiite clergy located south of Tehran.

The announced timetable is unusual in light of Islamic traditions, which generally call for a swift burial, often within twenty-four hours of death. However, exceptions may be made in exceptional circumstances, particularly during times of war or instability.

During his more than three decades at the helm of the country, Khamenei profoundly shaped Iranian politics. Under his authority, Iran strengthened its regional influence by relying on allied movements in the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen.

Domestically, his presidency was also marked by a strong centralization of power and the regular repression of protest movements. Despite international sanctions and successive economic crises, he remained the central figure of the Iranian political system until his death.

The planned ceremonies are expected to bring together senior Iranian officials, religious representatives, and foreign delegations to pay tribute to the man who led the Islamic Republic for thirty-six years. His burial in Mashhad, his hometown, will mark the final stage of a national mourning period that promises to be one of the most significant in Iran's contemporary history.