Iran has launched days of nationwide mourning as millions prepare to pay their final respects to former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Iran public mourning for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has officially begun, more than four months after he was killed in strikes carried out by the United States and Israel. His body will lie in state at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran before his burial next week in his hometown of Mashhad.
Iranian authorities expect between 12 and 20 million people to attend the ceremonies, describing the event as the “funeral of the century.” Public offices in Tehran will close for several days, while major roads and airspace restrictions have been introduced to manage the expected crowds.
The funeral programme will include ceremonies in Tehran, Qom, Iraq’s holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, before concluding with Khamenei’s burial at the Imam Reza Shrine. Delegations from several countries, including Pakistan, are expected to attend.
The public mourning ceremonies come weeks after Tehran and Washington reached a fragile ceasefire following months of escalating tensions, making the funeral one of the country’s most significant political and religious events in recent years.
Iran says nationwide commemorations will continue for 40 days after the burial, marking the end of an era in the country’s leadership.
