Iran has officially announced when former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will be laid to rest, ending months of uncertainty surrounding one of the most significant state ceremonies in the country’s recent history. According to a schedule released by the Committee for the Commemoration of the Ascension of the Mujahid Martyr Imam on June 13, Ali Khamenei will be buried on July 9, 2026, in the holy city of Mashhad, more than four months after he was killed in joint US-Israeli airstrikes on February 28.As per reports, the announcement also sets out a five-day programme of farewell events and funeral processions across Tehran, Qom and Mashhad. The ceremonies mark the final chapter in the public mourning process for Ali Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic for 35 years after succeeding Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.
Farewell ceremonies to begin in Tehran before final burial in Mashhad
As per reports, the official schedule states that farewell ceremonies for Ali Khamenei will be held at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran on July 4 and July 5. A funeral procession will then move through the Iranian capital on July 6.
The next stage of the ceremonies will take place in the holy city of Qom on July 7. The final procession for Ali Khamenei is scheduled for July 9 in Mashhad. The burial will take place at the shrine of Imam Reza on the eve of the martyrdom of Imam Sajjad in the Islamic calendar.
Family members to be buried alongside former Iranian leader
According to reports, Iranian authorities also confirmed that four members of Ali Khamenei’s family who were killed alongside him will be buried as part of the ceremonies. They are Dr. Misbah al-Huda Baqeri Kani, Sayyida Bushra Hosseini Khamenei, Zahra Haddad Adel and Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani.
At the time of his death, Ali Khamenei was 86 years old. He had served as Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989 and was one of the most influential figures in the country’s modern history.
Delays raise attention around timing of the funeral
A state funeral for Ali Khamenei had initially been planned for March 4. However, the ceremony was postponed as regional conflict intensified. Iranian officials later suggested that the funeral would take place during the early days of Muharram, but that timeline was also pushed back.
The repeated delays have come amid ongoing military tensions, active nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States, and a broader political transition inside the country. As a result, the timing of the funeral for Ali Khamenei is being viewed as significant not only from a religious perspective but also within the wider political context. Iranian authorities said additional details about the ceremonies will be announced separately.
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Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
