TEHRAN — Iran’s state media announced on Saturday that funeral ceremonies for the country’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will begin on July 4 and conclude with his burial on July 9, more than four months after his death during the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States. Iranian state television IRIB and other official outlets said the ceremonies would be held in several cities, including Tehran, Qom and Mashhad.
According to Iranian state media, Khamenei’s body will lie in state in Tehran before funeral processions are held in the capital. A ceremony is also planned in the religious city of Qom, with burial scheduled in Mashhad, his hometown and one of Iran’s most important religious centers. Officials said the events would run from July 4 through July 9.
“The funeral, burial, and farewell ceremonies for Khamenei would take place between July 4 and 9,” IRIB reported, according to accounts carried by state and international media.
Khamenei, who led Iran for more than three decades, was killed on Feb. 28 during the opening phase of military strikes carried out by Israel and the United States, according to Iranian authorities and multiple media reports. The conflict subsequently escalated across the region and prompted widespread security measures inside Iran.
Iranian officials had previously indicated that funeral arrangements could be delayed because of wartime conditions. Earlier plans for ceremonies in March were postponed, and Tehran officials later said scheduling had also been influenced by religious observances during the Islamic month of Muharram.
State media said ceremonies would include public gatherings in Tehran and Qom before the final burial in Mashhad. Details regarding attendance, security arrangements and foreign participation remain unclear.
The announcement comes as regional mediators continue efforts aimed at securing a broader agreement following months of conflict. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that negotiations were progressing and that a framework for peace was nearing completion, though no final agreement had been publicly confirmed.
As of Saturday, Iranian authorities said preparations for the July ceremonies were underway, with funeral and burial events scheduled to conclude on July 9 in Mashhad.
