In brief
Iran started a slow‑moving public mourning for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died in February’s US‑Israel strikes. His body will lie in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla before burial in Mashhad. The authorities predict 12‑20 million mourners, calling the event the “funeral of the century.” Ceremonies will span atheist visits to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, followed by a high‑profile burial at the Imam Reza shrine. Questions linger about the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and the leadership of the funeral prayers.
Iran has begun a public mourning period lasting several days for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a February strike carried out by the United States and Israel. The country has declared a ‘funeral of the century’, with officials expecting 12 to 20 million people to attend the ceremony.
The late Ayatollah’s body will lie in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla from Saturday, with a solemn burial ceremony in his hometown of Mashhad scheduled for next Thursday. The mausoleum will also host coffins of family members who were killed alongside him.
A transport and traffic curfew is in place: offices in Tehran are closed from Saturday to Monday, while most private vehicles are barred from the city centre and the airspace will be partially closed overnight. Residents are advised to follow official directions to prevent congestion.
The funeral procession will continue to Najaf in Iraq on Wednesday, where several Shia religious ceremonies will be held at the shrine of Imam Ali and the city of Karbala. The affair is viewed as a testament to Khamenei’s influence throughout the Shia world.
The presence of the new Supreme Leader, his son Mojtaba, remains uncertain. While he has been out of the public view for months, officials say an announcement about his attendance will be made by senior military and religious bodies. The identity of the funeral prayer’s lead is also awaiting confirmation.
International delegates, including Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, are expected to attend. The mourning period will extend beyond the burial, with commemorative events scheduled for 40 days after the funeral and up to the one‑year anniversary of Khamenei’s burial.
