Iran is preparing a week-long funeral for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, four months after he was killed at the start of the US-Israeli war on Iran, with authorities planning one of the largest public ceremonies in the country's history.

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The funeral will extend across five cities in Iran and Iraq, with officials expecting millions of mourners to take part. The government says the ceremonies are intended to honour Khamenei while demonstrating the resilience of the Islamic Republic following the conflict.

State media has devoted extensive coverage to the preparations, replacing recent focus on negotiations with the United States with tributes, documentaries and religious programming centred on Khamenei's life and legacy.

Week-long ceremonies to span Iran and Iraq

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the ceremonies would show that Iran would not remain silent in the face of what he described as oppression, calling the funeral an event that would demonstrate the nation's resolve.

The funeral may also provide the first public appearance of Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained out of public view since his father and several family members were killed.

The ceremonies coincide with the Islamic month of Muharram, a period of mourning in Shiite Islam associated with the martyrdom of Imam Hussein. Officials have also scheduled key events to overlap with the 250th anniversary of US Independence Day and other significant religious commemorations.

Khamenei, who led Iran for 37 years, was killed on the first day of the US-Israeli war on 28 February. Authorities have portrayed the funeral as a celebration of his legacy despite the country's military losses and prolonged economic difficulties.

Religious symbolism and nationwide preparations

Analysts say his assassination has strengthened his symbolic status among supporters. Sina Toossi, a senior non-resident fellow at the Center for International Policy, said Khamenei was now being presented as a martyred religious figure whose influence had grown after his death.

Iran has previously held mass funerals for the country's founding leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989 and Revolutionary Guards commander Qassem Soleimani in 2020. Both events were marred by deadly crowd crushes, prompting extensive security planning for the latest ceremonies.

Authorities have mobilised thousands of emergency personnel, ambulances, helicopters and volunteers, while schools, mosques, sports halls and public buildings have been prepared to accommodate visitors. Firefighters have installed thousands of water sprinklers around the main funeral venue in Tehran to help cope with summer temperatures.

The government has also announced major transport restrictions, including airport closures during parts of the ceremonies, and says millions of loaves of bread will be baked to feed mourners.

Regional procession and international attendance

Following ceremonies in Tehran, Khamenei's body will be taken to the holy city of Qom before being transported to the Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq. It will then return to Iran for burial at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace.

Officials say the inclusion of Iraq reflects Iran's view of itself as a leader of a broader regional Shiite movement.

Iranian authorities estimate attendance could range from four million to 15 million people and say around 14,000 journalists, including 900 from overseas, will cover the events.

State media says several foreign leaders and senior officials are expected to attend, including Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russia's Security Council deputy chairman Dmitry Medvedev. Western officials have not been invited.

Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref described the funeral as one of the century's most significant events, while Revolutionary Guards commander Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian said it would demonstrate the Islamic Republic's strength to the international community.

Questions remain over Mojtaba Khamenei

Attention is also focused on whether Mojtaba Khamenei will appear publicly during the funeral. He has not been seen since the war began, communicating only through written statements while officials say he is overseeing negotiations with Washington.

Funeral organisers said any decision on his attendance rests with the Supreme Leader's office.

His appearance would mark his first public event since assuming the country's highest office and could reinforce his authority. If he does not attend, questions are likely to persist about his security and his role in leading the country.

Iran has warned against any attacks during the funeral, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying Tehran would respond immediately to threats against its leadership after Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Mojtaba Khamenei was "marked for death".

Despite the government's efforts to portray the funeral as a national show of unity, some Iranians have expressed frustration at the disruption caused by the preparations, with long fuel queues and heavy traffic reported in Tehran.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 3 July 2026

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Pssst, Bibi! They're all gonna be in one place!