Iranian authorities are gearing up to hold a “grand” funeral for the country’s slain former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, a ceremony that has been delayed for months due to the ongoing war with the U.S. and Israel, according to reports from May 29.
While the exact date remains unclear, state TV quoted Mohsen Mahmoudi, head of the Islamic Propaganda Coordination Council, as saying that “a special headquarters has been set up to prepare the funeral, and various departments are now working on the arrangements.”
Ali Khamenei, who led Iran for more than three decades, was killed during the first wave of U.S.-Israeli strikes on February 28. His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, was also injured in that attack and hasn’t been seen in public since taking office.
Back in April, Iran held a memorial event for Ali Khamenei, but the originally announced state funeral was postponed because of the war.
State TV quoted Mahmoudi as saying that “various organizations are striving to provide the necessary conditions so that once the official announcement is made, a ‘grand’ ceremony can take place,” adding that widespread public participation is expected.
According to earlier reports, Khamenei’s funeral will be held in Mashhad, followed by burial there. Officials in charge of the funeral arrangements also said they plan to hold a public memorial service in Tehran. Neither the funeral nor the memorial date has been announced yet.
Khamenei was born in Mashhad, served as president from 1981 to 1989, and became Supreme Leader in 1989. As the common spiritual leader of Shia Muslims across the Islamic world, he held tremendous influence in Shia-populated areas of Iran, Iraq, and Syria.
Khamenei was killed in the U.S.-Israeli operation on the morning of February 28. That day, at least seven missiles struck areas near the Presidential Palace and Khamenei’s residence in Tehran. A senior Israeli official said Khamenei’s body was found in the rubble of his residence. His daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter, and one of his daughters-in-law — four people in total — were also killed in the attack.
Iranian media reported that Khamenei “was martyred at his post in the leader’s office,” while he was carrying out his duties.
The Iranian government later issued a statement declaring 40 days of national mourning and ordering public institutions closed for seven days.
