Iran will hold the state funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei from 4 to 9 July, more than four months after he was killed in a joint US-Israeli strike on 28 February, according to Iranian officials. The ceremonies will span Tehran, Qom, Mashhad, and the Iraqi shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala, with the burial set for the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad. Iranian authorities estimate that between 18 and 35 million people may participate nationwide, including up to 20 million in the capital, prompting the deployment of 1.2 million parking spaces, the closure of three metro stations, and the establishment of dedicated emergency lanes and field hospitals by the army and Revolutionary Guards.

Iranian officials, speaking through the national headquarters for the funeral, describe the event as a demonstration of “national cohesion and unity” and a renewal of allegiance to the new Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei. The headquarters, chaired by First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, has coordinated with the Supreme National Security Council and the late leader’s family. In Iraq, a parallel national committee under the prime minister has been formed to organise processions in Najaf and Karbala, a decision that, according to Iranian officials, responds to requests from Iraqi tribes, clerics, and political figures who regarded Khamenei as a religious authority. The Iraqi Coordination Framework has publicly called for mass participation.

Viewed from New Delhi, the composition of India’s delegation has drawn scrutiny. President Masoud Pezeshkian personally invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but India is sending Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain. Analysts in India note that this contrasts with the vice-presidential representation at President Ebrahim Raisi’s funeral in 2024 and is being read as an effort to avoid antagonising the United States and Israel while maintaining functional ties with Tehran. Iranian officials say delegations from more than 30 countries and religious figures from over 90 nations have confirmed attendance, though no list has been published.

The long delay between death and burial, which contravenes Islamic custom, is attributed by Iranian security officials to the threat of airstrikes and the risk of a crowd crush, recalling the 2020 funeral of Qassem Soleimani. The timing now coincides with reports, noted in Israeli media, of a possible peace agreement between Iran and the United States after months of hostilities. The funeral is widely seen, in regional diplomatic circles, as the first major public test for Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained largely out of sight since his appointment. The formal farewell in Tehran begins on 4 July at the Grand Mosalla, with prayers at dawn on 5 July and a 10-kilometre procession through the capital the following day.