The Iranian regime announced early Friday the funeral schedule for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The procession begins July 4-5 in Tehran, moves to Qom on July 7, and concludes with burial in Mashhad on July 9, according to the regime's announcement.
The Iranian regime early Friday published the finalized itinerary for the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The four-day schedule begins July 4-5 with mass farewell ceremonies in Tehran, continues July 7 in Qom, and concludes July 9 with burial in Mashhad at the Imam Reza complex. The announcement comes hours after a coffin said to contain Khamenei's remains was displayed Thursday night at the Imam Khomeini Hussainiya in Tehran, as The Zioneer reported at 00:06 Jerusalem — the first public viewing of the leader's body since his death.
The thread of reporting on the funeral arrangements has evolved over weeks of contradictory signals. An earlier official schedule, published by the regime on June 13 (The Zioneer, 14:47 Jerusalem), already set burial for July 9 but left earlier dates varying by source. On June 17, Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani announced an international leg in Iraq on July 8-9 (The Zioneer, 20:47 Jerusalem) — a plan absent from Friday's final itinerary. On June 22, Iranian media reported a ceremony in Qom on Tuesday (The Zioneer, 09:20 Jerusalem), later confirmed in the final schedule for July 7. On June 30, Iranian sources said Khamenei's body had been exhumed from a temporary grave in Qom (The Zioneer, 18:56 Jerusalem), preceding the official ceremonies. On July 1, the government announced a closure of Tehran on July 7 and a national day of mourning on July 9 (The Zioneer, 19:16 Jerusalem), and The Zioneer separately reported that preparations for a massive funeral in Mashhad were complete (16:42 Jerusalem). The Thursday night display of the coffin at the Hussainiya (The Zioneer, 00:06 Jerusalem) was the final antecedent to Friday's schedule announcement.
As The Zioneer reported on June 13, citing Iranian sources, Khamenei was killed in the opening strike of Operation Roar of the Lion in late February. His body was reportedly preserved in a freezer for over four months before the funeral preparations began, according to the earlier reporting from the Hussainiya ceremony.
It remains unclear whether the now-dropped Iraq leg of the procession has been definitively canceled or may be revived. The official cause of death has not been formally confirmed by the regime.
4 developments
- StrongIranian media: Khamenei funeral ceremony to be held in Qom on Tuesday
- StrongTehran mayor says Khamenei funeral ceremonies to take place in Iraq on July 8–9
- DevelopingIranian regime publishes official funeral schedule for Khamenei, burial set for July 9
- StrongIranian sources say Khamenei's body exhumed from temporary grave in Qom
Source and signal
- Internal intake