20 Million Mourners, 30 Nations, High Alert: Inside Ali Khamenei's Si Day Funeral In Iran

Published 3 July 2026 · india

20 Million Mourners, 30 Nations, High Alert: Inside Ali Khamenei's Si Day Funeral In Iran Published By, Last Updated: July 03, 2026, 11:38 IST Ali

20 Million Mourners, 30 Nations, High Alert: Inside Ali Khamenei's Si Day Funeral In Iran Published By, Last Updated: July 03, 2026, 11:38 IST Ali Khamenei, the longest-serving head of state in West Asia, was killed on February 28 in the coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iran that triggered a major conflict in the region Locals gather at the coffin of Iran's slain leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei | Image credit: AFP The funeral ceremonies for Iran’s slain Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will begin on July 4 and conclude with his burial in his hometown, the holy city of Mashhad, on July 9. The ceremony will also feature events in Qom, a holy city in the south of Tehran. Ali Khamenei, the longest-serving head of state in West Asia, was killed on February 28 in the coordinated US-Israeli strikes on Iran that triggered a major conflict in the region. Ayatollah Khamenei Funeral LIVE What You Need To Know July 4-6: The si day funeral ceremony for the late Iranian leader will commence in Tehran on Saturday, July 4. Khamenei’s body will be placed in state at the Grand Mosalla prayer complex for public viewing, followed by a major procession through the streets of Tehran on Monday, July 6, according to Al Jazeera.

July 7: The funeral procession will then move to the holy city of Qom. Located about 140 kilometers southwest of Tehran, Qom is Iran’s foremost centre of Shia Islamic scholarship. July 8: The procession will travel to the historic holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in neighbouring Iraq. July 9: Ali Khamenei will be laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his hometown, Al Jazeera reported. According to Iranian officials, between 15 to 20 million mourners are expected to attend the funeral procession spanning six days to bid a final farewell to their late leader. Speculating a heavy footfall at the events, authorities have issued a high alert across the country, especially the capital city of Tehran. Earlier in the day, the body of Ali Khamenei was brought to Tehran’s Grand Mosalla complex ahead of the funeral as mourners gathered in the capital, singing ceremonial hymns and carrying Iranian flags, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported. An initial visual –– featuring the casket holding the late Supreme Leader –– surfaced, depicting the coffin inside a room decked up with the colours of the country’s flag. The body of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei being carried to the Grand Mosalla complex in Tehran | Image credit: AP ‘Nation’s Call For Vengeance’ Iran’s Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher-Ghalibaf has called for a massive turnout at the funeral procession of Ali Khamenei as a way to avenge the leader’s assassination.