{"id":36571,"date":"2026-07-04T11:05:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T08:05:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=36571"},"modified":"2026-07-04T11:06:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T08:06:18","slug":"iran-holds-week-long-funeral-ceremonies-for-ayatollah-khamenei-as-world-leaders-gather-in-tehran","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/iran-holds-week-long-funeral-ceremonies-for-ayatollah-khamenei-as-world-leaders-gather-in-tehran\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran holds week-long funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Khamenei as world leaders gather in Tehran"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>7 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Iran began a week of state funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 3, 2026, drawing senior officials, foreign delegations and large crowds of mourners. Authorities describe it as one of the largest public commemorations in the country&#8217;s modern history.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The ceremonies, which began on Friday at Tehran&#8217;s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, come more than four months after Khamenei was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike on February 28 at the start of the four-month conflict between Iran and Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iranian authorities delayed the funeral because of the war, security concerns, and the need to organize nationwide commemorations following the ceasefire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The funeral will continue throughout the week with ceremonies across Iran and Iraq before Khamenei is buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace, later this week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Nationwide Mourning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thousands of mourners gathered at the Grand Mosalla as Khamenei&#8217;s coffin, along with the coffins of several family members killed in the same strike, was placed in state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among those honored were his daughter, son-in-law, 14-month-old granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani, and the wife of his son and successor, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">An image of the coffins carrying the martyred Ayatollah Khamenei at the tribute site for foreign dignitaries.<br><br>The smaller casket belongs to Zahra, the granddaughter of Ayatollah Khamenei. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QzcG62cDbu\">pic.twitter.com\/QzcG62cDbu<\/a><\/p>\u2014 IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/iribnews_irib\/status\/2072955867733930483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 3, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>The coffin was draped with symbols closely associated with Iran&#8217;s Islamic Revolution, including a black turban representing descent from the Prophet Muhammad and a black-and-white chequered scarf symbolizing solidarity with the Palestinian cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">State media showed mourners praying, weeping, and chanting while filing past the coffins. Black mourning banners, portraits of Khamenei, and revolutionary symbols were displayed across Tehran as part of nationwide commemorations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iranian authorities expect millions of people to participate in funeral processions over the coming days. Public holidays have been declared; roads have been closed around key venues, and security measures have been significantly increased as the ceremonies continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The funeral schedule includes additional public ceremonies in Tehran before the procession moves to the holy city of Qom, a primary center for Shia Islamic scholarship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Later, the body of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will be taken to the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala for religious ceremonies before returning to Iran for burial in his hometown of Mashhad at the Imam Reza Shrine.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iran-ballistic-missile-in-Tehran.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"370\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iran-ballistic-missile-in-Tehran.jpg?resize=690%2C370&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Iran's ballistic missile\" class=\"wp-image-29886\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iran-ballistic-missile-in-Tehran.jpg?w=690&amp;ssl=1 690w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Iran-ballistic-missile-in-Tehran.jpg?resize=300%2C161&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>A banner depicting Iran&#8217;s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is placed next to a ballistic missile in Baharestan Square in Tehran on Sept. 26, 2024. (Image Credit: Hossein Beris\/Middle East Images\/AFP\/via X)<\/sup><\/em><br><br><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Senior Iranian Leadership Attends Funeral<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The funeral marked the first major public gathering of Iran&#8217;s senior leadership since the end of the war. President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attended the opening ceremony<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iran&#8217;s senior clerics, judiciary officials, commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), military leaders and representatives of Iran&#8217;s religious minorities also attended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">IRGC commanders also made high-profile public appearances during the ceremonies, including officials who had remained largely out of public view during the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded his father in March, he has remained absent from the public ceremonies because of security concerns following reported threats against him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Foreign Delegations Arrive in Iran<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The funeral has attracted delegations from around 100 countries, highlighting Iran&#8217;s diplomatic ties across Asia, the Middle East and the broader Global South.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among those attending the event in Tehran were representatives of regional movements and groups affiliated with the Resistance Front, the Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and delegations from regional actors.<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"800\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Tehran: 3 July 2026.<br><br>At the invitation of the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran H.E Dr Masoud Pezeshkian, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif attended the funeral ceremony of the late Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/BDD5wGIOMO\">pic.twitter.com\/BDD5wGIOMO<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Prime Minister&#8217;s Office (@PakPMO) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/PakPMO\/status\/2073021182006231493?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 3, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Pakistan&#8217;s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led one of the largest foreign delegations to pay tribute to the Iranian leader. He was accompanied by Field Marshal Asim Munir, Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, and other senior government officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the visit, Sharif met President Pezeshkian and offered condolences on behalf of Pakistan. Field Marshal Asim Munir also held talks with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during his visit to Tehran.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev attended the ceremony as President Vladimir Putin&#8217;s representative, while China was represented by He Wei, Vice Chairperson of the Standing Committee of the National People&#8217;s Congress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other senior participants included Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al-Khuraiji.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Azerbaijan&#8217;s Parliament Speaker Sahiba Gafarova led the Azeri delegation, while Afghanistan&#8217;s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and delegations from Iraq, Oman, Bangladesh, and several other countries also attended the funeral ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Representatives from Lebanon, Yemen, and other members of the so-called &#8220;Axis of Resistance&#8221; also attended the ceremonies, including relatives of former Hezbollah leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Imad Mughniyeh. No prominent Western leaders attended the funeral.<br><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-media-max-width=\"800\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">On behalf of the leadership and people of Russia, I extend our deepest condolences over the martyrdom of Iran&#8217;s Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. We mourn this immeasurable loss alongside the Iranian people. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/kje2Jus1MW\">pic.twitter.com\/kje2Jus1MW<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/MedvedevRussiaE\/status\/2073160201260445808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 3, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Tight Security Across Tehran<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iranian authorities have implemented extensive security measures throughout the capital as the ceremonies continue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Military and police units have been deployed across major roads while members of the Basij volunteer force have been patrolling key areas. Authorities have also introduced traffic restrictions and increased security around official venues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iranian military officials warned the United States and Israel against any military action during the funeral period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the U.S. and the Zionist regime, to avoid any miscalculation and to think about the harsh retaliation our armed forces would make to any threat and aggression against our country,&#8221; Khatam Al Anbiya Central Headquarters Commander Ali Abdollahi said in a statement carried by Iranian state media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br><strong>Symbolism and Political Significance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The funeral carries significant religious and political symbolism for the Islamic Republic. State media have framed the ceremonies as a national demonstration of resilience following the war, drawing parallels between Khamenei&#8217;s death and the Shi&#8217;ite tradition of martyrdom associated with Imam Hussein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout the ceremonies, mourners have participated in traditional mourning rituals, including chest-beating processions and chants calling for justice and revenge. Organizers have described the commemorations as a tribute to Khamenei&#8217;s 37 years as Iran&#8217;s supreme leader and a reaffirmation of the country&#8217;s revolutionary ideals.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Iran-religious-leaders-at-Khamenei-funeral.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"678\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Iran-religious-leaders-at-Khamenei-funeral.jpg?resize=1016%2C678&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Iranian religious leaders paying their respects at the funeral ceremony of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei\" class=\"wp-image-36580\" style=\"width:840px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Iran-religious-leaders-at-Khamenei-funeral.jpg?resize=1024%2C683&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Iran-religious-leaders-at-Khamenei-funeral.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Iran-religious-leaders-at-Khamenei-funeral.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Iran-religious-leaders-at-Khamenei-funeral.jpg?resize=589%2C392&amp;ssl=1 589w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Iran-religious-leaders-at-Khamenei-funeral.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Iranian religious leaders paying their respects at the funeral ceremony of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran, on July 3, 2026. (Image Credit: Vahid Salemi\/AP\/via X)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The funeral also serves as Iran&#8217;s first major national event since the conflict ended under a ceasefire, providing the country&#8217;s leadership with an opportunity to project political continuity under Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei while demonstrating support from regional partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Analysts say the scale of the ceremonies reflects both Iran&#8217;s effort to reinforce national unity after months of conflict and the importance of managing the country&#8217;s leadership transition following the death of its longest-serving supreme leader since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With funeral events scheduled to continue through next week in Iran and Iraq before the final burial in Mashhad, authorities expect millions more mourners to participate in what is likely to become one of the largest state funeral ceremonies in Iran&#8217;s contemporary history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iran began a week of state funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 3, 2026, drawing senior officials, foreign delegations and large crowds of mourners. Authorities describe it as one of the largest public commemorations in the country&#8217;s modern history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36577,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[44,1],"tags":[144,45,75,30,993,26,32,356,8,20,113,182,82,128],"class_list":["post-36571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east","category-news","tag-armenia","tag-china","tag-conflict","tag-iran","tag-irgc","tag-israel","tag-lebanon","tag-middle-east","tag-pakistan","tag-russia","tag-security","tag-tajikistan","tag-turkey","tag-war"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/People-mourn-Iran-Supreme-Leader-Khamenei-death.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-9vR","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36571"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36571\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36588,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36571\/revisions\/36588"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36577"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}