Iran Sets 3-Day Khamenei Funeral for Mid-June as Tehran Prepares for 20 Million Mourners
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 2
Iran Sets 3-Day Khamenei Funeral for Mid-June as Tehran Prepares for 20 Million Mourners
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 2
Iranian authorities said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral will be held over three days in mid-June, ending an indefinite delay after his Feb. 28 killing.
Tehran deputy mayor Mohammad Amin Tavakoli-Zadeh said ceremonies will include processions in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad, with the Tehran event alone lasting at least 24 hours.
Officials had postponed the burial in early March despite Islamic custom favoring funerals within days, citing logistical strain from the huge crowds expected.
State media said planners are preparing for as many as 20 million attendees, underscoring the scale of the first public rites for Iran’s former supreme leader since the war began.
Khamenei, 86, was killed in a strike on his home on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli war; his son Mojtaba was named successor but has not appeared publicly.
As millions mourn Khamenei, will his son's controversial succession ignite a power struggle that fractures the Islamic Republic?
With Iran's new Supreme Leader in hiding, who is actually controlling the country's next moves in the ongoing war?
Has the assassination of Ali Khamenei now made a nuclear-armed Iran an inevitable outcome for the regime's survival?
Iran After Khamenei: Funeral Turmoil, Security Crisis, Succession Struggle, and Regional Fallout Following the Supreme Leader’s Assassination
Overview
The report details the unfolding of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral, highlighting the extensive preparations for a multi-city ceremony that poses major logistical and security challenges. Iranian authorities, including the IRGC and Astan Quds Razavi, are coordinating efforts to manage large crowds and ensure safety. The news of Khamenei's death has triggered sharply divided reactions, with some mourning and others celebrating, reflecting deep societal divisions. These events are set against a backdrop of heightened regional tensions and internal uncertainty, making the funeral not just a national event but a significant moment for Iran's future stability.