Iran begins six-day funeral for Khamenei: Burial to take place in Mashhad

Iran has started days-long funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The ceremonies are scheduled to begin on July 4 and end on July 9 with Khamenei’s burial in his hometown of Mashhad.

Body brought to Tehran for public mourning

Iranian state television announced that the funeral ceremonies for Khamenei began on Saturday morning.

Khamenei’s coffin was brought to the Grand Mosalla religious complex in Tehran. Thousands of people carrying red banners gathered at the ceremony site.

The coffin is expected to remain in Tehran until Monday before being taken to Qom, one of the holy cities for Shiite Muslims, and then to Iraq.

Burial to be held in Mashhad

The final stop of the funeral procession will be Mashhad, Khamenei’s hometown. He is expected to be buried in the city, which holds religious significance for Shia Islam.

The funeral route was planned to cover centers carrying both national and religious importance.

Tight security measures planned

Security measures are expected to be increased across Iran during the ceremonies. Some roads and parts of Iranian airspace will be closed for security reasons in cities where the coffin will be displayed.

The security process will be overseen by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while the Basij paramilitary force will be responsible for crowd management, accommodation and logistics.

Foreign delegations attended the ceremony

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir attended the ceremony in Tehran.

Former Russian President and Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev represented Russia, while He Wei, vice chairman of China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee, attended on behalf of China.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and an Indian delegation also paid their respects before Khamenei’s coffin.

Family members of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli attack in Lebanon, were also reported to be in attendance.

Mojtaba Khamenei’s attendance remains unclear

Iranian officials have not said whether Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as supreme leader, will appear publicly during any stage of the ceremonies.

Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public for months. Senior Revolutionary Guards commander General Ahmad Vahidi, however, appeared publicly for the first time in months.