Iran announces funeral dates for late Supreme leader Khamenei

Iran has announced that the funeral of its late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will begin in Tehran on July 4 and conclude with his burial in the northeastern holy city of Mashhad on July 9, marking the end of an era that shaped the Islamic Republic for more than three decades.

According to Reuters, funeral ceremonies will also be held on July 7 in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran, as millions of Iranians are expected to take part in nationwide mourning events.

Islamic tradition generally requires the dead to be buried as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours. However, exceptions can be made under extraordinary circumstances, including during wartime.

Khamenei, who led Iran for 36 years, was killed on February 28 during the first day of Israeli and United States air strikes on Iran. The attack destroyed his central Tehran compound.

During his time in power, Khamenei transformed Iran into one of the strongest opponents of the United States in the Middle East. He expanded Tehran’s regional influence through allied groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon while maintaining tight control at home and suppressing repeated waves of anti government protests.

He remained a fierce critic of Washington throughout his leadership, while successive United States administrations failed to resolve the long running dispute with Tehran over its nuclear programme.

Following his death, his son Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, who was injured in the same air strike that also killed his wife, succeeded him as Iran’s Supreme Leader.

The funeral announcement comes as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continue. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that Iran and the United States had agreed on a framework for a peace deal after more than three months of war and were expected to sign an initial agreement within 24 hours.