Iran has officially announced the full schedule for the state funeral of its former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the first time such a ceremony has been held since his death earlier this year. The funeral will begin on July 4, 2026, and will conclude with his burial at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad on July 9.
The decision comes in the middle of a heated geopolitical fight between the United States and Israel involving Iran and West Asia. Iran had postponed the funeral for more than four months over security fears and fears of military strikes targeting the senior officials who were attending.
Khamenei died on February 28, 2026, after what Iranian officials said was a joint US-Israeli attack hitting key military and political facilities. His death was one of the most important events in Iran’s modern history, and it triggered political change and increased regional uncertainty.
While the event was important enough for Iranians, the government of Iran delayed public funeral proceedings because it feared that Israel might launch more attacks during the country’s top leaders’ meetings. The high number of people and the presence of senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), government ministers, religious leaders, and military officials made them attractive targets for terrorists, officials said.
But recent diplomatic developments and ongoing peace talks in the region have eased some of those concerns. Tehran is moving on to hold a series of national mourning events in honour of the late leader.
According to the organising committee's agenda, farewell ceremonies will take place at the Mosalla complex in Tehran on July 4 and 5. Thousands of citizens, religious scholars, government officials, and foreign dignitaries will take part in these events.
A huge funeral procession is scheduled in Tehran on July 6, during which mourners will have the opportunity to pay their final respects.
The ceremonies will then move to the holy city of Qom on July 7. As one of the most significant centres of Shia Islamic scholarship, Qom is a very religious place and played an important part in Khamenei's political and spiritual life.
The final stage of the funeral will take place in Mashhad, located in northeastern Iran. On July 9, a grand funeral procession will be organised before Khamenei's body is laid to rest at the Imam Reza Shrine, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam and a destination visited annually by millions of pilgrims.
Security measures are expected to be unprecedented at the multi-day event, and Iranian authorities will have the resources to protect those in attendance and to prevent any potential dangers. The funeral will be attended by diplomats from other countries and regional partners.
As Iran prepares for one of its largest state ceremonies in history, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral will become a national moment of remembrance as well as a political event on the changing political scene in the Middle East.
