Iran prepares multi-day funeral for slain Supreme Leader Khamenei amid security warnings
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Iran has opened the casket of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for public viewing and announced a week-long series of funeral rites in Tehran, Qom, Mashhad and Iraq, while the IRGC warned against attacks and airspace over the capital will be closed.
Iranian state media reported that the casket of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several family members, including his infant granddaughter, is on display at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla in Tehran. Funeral ceremonies are scheduled to begin on July 4 and continue through July 9, with processions planned in Tehran, Qom, Mashhad and the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander-in-chief Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi appeared beside the casket and warned the United States and Israel against any attacks during the mourning period. Iran’s Civil Aviation Organization said Tehran’s airspace will be completely closed on Monday for the procession.
Foreign delegations, including officials from China, India, Pakistan and several Middle Eastern and African states, are expected to attend, according to their foreign ministries. Iranian leaders such as President Masoud Pezeshkian and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf have greeted the delegations.
Security forces have been patrolling Tehran’s streets ahead of the events, and the IRGC has pledged a rapid response to any threats. The United States has positioned a Marine Expeditionary Unit in the region, while Israeli officials have previously stated that Khamenei was “marked for death.”
The funeral schedule includes a 24-hour public farewell at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla, daily prayers, a 10-kilometre procession from Imam Hossein Square to Azadi Square, and final interment at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad. The ceremonies are intended to demonstrate the regime’s resilience following the strike that killed Khamenei and several family members.