Iran Begins Public Mourning for Former Supreme Leader Khamenei Killed in US-Israeli Strikes

Iran began several days of public mourning and funeral processions for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on or around July 3. His body is lying in state at Tehran's Grand Mosalla ahead of burial in his hometown of Mashhad on July 9. Iranian authorities said 12 to 20 million people were expected to attend the ceremonies.

Khamenei's coffin, bearing the colours of the Islamic Republic, was carried aloft at the Grand Mosalla on Friday. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian paid respects after the coffin was placed there. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and the Afghan Taliban's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi attended the farewell ceremony in Tehran.

Representatives from Iraq, Armenia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman were also present. An official funeral ceremony will be held in Tehran on Saturday, led by the Tehran-based Mohammad Rasulullah Corps. Khamenei's body will lie in the Grand Mosalla for three days alongside the remains of family members killed in the strikes.

Mohammad Rasulullah Corps commander Hassan Hassanzadeh said visitors would enter and leave within 15 to 20 minutes. Public and private offices in Tehran were ordered to close from Saturday through Monday. Traffic restrictions shut down most of the city centre to private vehicles during the same period.

Tehran's airspace was partially closed on Friday and will be fully closed on Monday. Iran and the US are observing a fragile ceasefire after signing a preliminary deal to halt their conflict. On Tuesday, funeral events will move to Qom, where a senior Shia cleric will lead prayers at Jamkaran.

Khamenei's body will travel to Najaf in Iraq on Wednesday for a procession at the shrine of Imam Ali. Khamenei will be buried on Thursday at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad.