Nationwide mourning as Iran announces funeral plan for Khamenei

Iran has announced full details of the funeral and burial arrangements for its late Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, according to state media reports.

The funeral ceremonies are expected to begin in the capital city, Tehran, on July 4. Officials say the event will last for three days, with different national leaders, religious figures, and citizens expected to take part in prayers and public mourning activities during this period.

After the main ceremonies in Tehran, a second round of funeral rites will be held in the holy city of Qom on July 7. Qom is considered one of the most important religious centres in Iran, so the ceremony there is expected to attract large attention from the country’s religious community.

The final burial is scheduled to take place on July 9 in Mashhad, which is also the hometown of the late leader. This will mark the end of the official mourning period.

According to the report, the 86-year-old leader died following a joint US-Israeli airstrike on his compound in February. He had been in power since 1989, taking over leadership after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who led the Iranian Revolution that shaped the modern Islamic Republic.

The announcement has been described by state media as part of a carefully planned national mourning process, involving multiple cities and stages to honour his long years in leadership.