Iranian authorities are laying the groundwork for a “grand” funeral for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, official media reported Friday, following a lengthy postponement caused by the Islamic Republic’s war with the United States and Israel. State TV, citing Mohsen Mahmoudi, head of the Tehran Coordination Council for Islamic Propaganda, said a special headquarters has been formed to prepare for the ceremony and that various agencies are currently planning and making arrangements. Although the exact timing remains uncertain, Mahmoudi stated that different organizations are working to provide the necessary conditions so that, once officially announced, a “grand” ceremony can be held, with “widespread attendance” expected.
Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic for more than three decades, was killed on February 28 in the first wave of US-Israeli strikes that launched the war. His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, was also wounded in the attacks and has not been seen in public since assuming office. An event paying tribute to the elder Khamenei was organised in April, but a state funeral that was initially announced could not be held because of the war. Iran announced in March that a planned farewell ceremony had been postponed “in anticipation of unprecedented turnout” and partly due to the need to provide proper infrastructure for millions of mourners.
Iranian officials expect millions to attend once the date is confirmed, potentially making it one of the largest state funerals in the country’s modern history. A ceasefire has largely held since coming into effect in April, but a deal to definitively end the conflict has proven elusive. The postponement comes nearly three months after Khamenei’s death, which state media verified after the strikes, prompting a 40-day national mourning period.
