Khamenei’s State Funeral Postponed Again

The state funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US and Israeli strikes on the first day of the Middle East war, has been postponed once again. Tehran’s mayor confirmed the development on Thursday, saying the ceremony will now be held between late June and early July.

Earlier, Iran had announced plans to hold the three-day ceremony at the beginning of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, which would have fallen in early June.

However, in a statement published by the Fars News Agency, Mayor Alireza Zakani said authorities decided to delay the event until after the first 10 days of Muharram to allow the annual mourning rituals for Imam Hussein to conclude.

This means the funeral will now take place in the second 10-day period of Muharram, between June 26 and July 5. Tehran officials had earlier said they expected up to 20 million people to attend the ceremony.

Deputy Mayor of Tehran Mohammad Amin Tavakolizadeh reportedly said the ceremonies will be held not only in the capital but also in the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad, where Khamenei is expected to be buried, given their deep religious significance for Iranian Shia Muslims. He added that events in Tehran alone are expected to continue for at least 24 hours.

Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic of Iran for nearly 37 years, died on February 28 at his residence in central Tehran. Authorities had initially scheduled a state funeral for March 4, but later postponed it due to the war.