Farewell to Martyr Leader in Tehran, Funeral in Qom, Burial in Mashhad

TEHRAN – The committee overseeing arrangements for the martyrdom of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Saturday announced the schedule of farewell, funeral, and burial ceremonies for the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and four family members martyred alongside him in February.

In its third statement, the committee said the ceremonies will take place over six days in Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad, beginning July 4.

"Following the bloody ascension of the highest authority of the Shia world, the wise Leader of the Islamic Revolution and standard-bearer of the front of truth and resistance, the martyred Imam, Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Husseini Khamenei, the Islamic world is in mourning for a great man who spent his blessed life in elevating the word of truth, defending Islam, serving the people, and guiding the Islamic nation," the statement said.

The committee expressed gratitude for the "enthusiastic and loyal presence of the mobilized people of Islamic Iran and all devotees of Islam and the revolution."

Farewell ceremonies will be held at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mosalla on July 4-5. The funeral procession in Tehran will take place on July 6, followed by a funeral ceremony in the holy city of Qom on July 7. The final funeral procession in Mashhad will be held on July 9, after which burial will take place at the holy shrine of Imam Reza (AS).

The statement noted that July 9 coincides with the eve of the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Sajjad (AS).

The committee confirmed that alongside the late Leader, four family members who were also martyred will be buried: Dr. Mesbaholhoda Bagheri-Kani, Seyyedeh Boshra Husseini Khamenei, Zahra Haddad Adel, and Zahra Muhammadi Golpayegani.

"The people, the free peoples of the world, devotees of the school of Islam, and those who hold dear Iran are invited to attend these magnificent ceremonies to bid farewell to their martyred leader," the statement said.

Muhammad Amin Tavakolizadeh, deputy for social and cultural affairs of Tehran municipality, has said that preparations are underway for a crowd of 15 to 20 million people in the capital alone.

"We are witnessing the funeral of the world's greatest anti-arrogance leader, the greatest commander in the fight against the U.S. and Israel, a great source of emulation and the leader of the Islamic Revolution," Tavakolizadeh said earlier this month.

He added that requests to host the funeral have poured in from various provinces.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps will oversee overall command and coordination of the funeral arrangements, while municipal authorities and other state institutions will assist with transport, public services and crowd management.

Tavakolizadeh noted that Iraq's judiciary chief announced that no Shia marriages were registered in Iraq during the first 40 days after the Leader's martyrdom, a traditional sign of collective grief. Symbolic funeral ceremonies have been held in Iraqi cities, with similar scenes reported in Kashmir, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Yemen.

In Mashhad, a special atmosphere is expected, with large numbers of mourners from neighboring countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh and Kashmir.

"We will see the largest gathering of Shia Muslims, and even beyond that, of all Muslims," Tavakolizadeh said.

Nationwide rallies began spontaneously in the early hours following the announcement of Imam Khamenei's martyrdom on February 28 and have continued in various forms across the country.

On April 9, the 40th day after his martyrdom – an important rite in Islamic tradition – millions of Iranians took to the streets in nationwide rallies to honor the late leader, with the largest crowds seen in Tehran, Urmia, and Gorgan. The commemorations began at 9:40 a.m. local time, the exact moment the fatal strikes occurred.

In the immediate aftermath of the February 28 attack, spontaneous public gatherings swept across Iranian cities. In Tehran, thousands gathered in front of the University of Tehran before marching toward Enghelab Square, carrying black flags, Iranian flags, portraits of the Supreme Leader, and copies of the Qur'an.

Chanted slogans included: "We fight, we die, we will not accept compromise," "We are followers of the Leader; we will not overlook his blood," "No compromise, no surrender – battle with America," "Revenge, revenge," as well as "Death to America" and "Death to Israel."

The Iranian government declared 40 days of national mourning and seven days of nationwide closure following the martyrdom.

At rallies across Iran, mourners have repeatedly declared that their vigil will continue until they ensure that no enemy ever dares to assassinate their leader again.

"We will not rest until we guarantee that those who took our Imam will never again dare to raise a hand against our leadership," a mourner told WANA News Agency during a rally in Tehran. "We stay in these streets every night to send a message: you cannot kill our revolution by killing our leader."

A 60-year-old woman named Mahin told a news agency at the funeral of senior military commanders: "We will not yield an inch to imperialism. We will continue fighting firmly to the last drop of our blood."

Another mourner, Sama, a 36-year-old housewife, said: "We are not afraid of the enemy's bombs or war. It would be an honor for me to lose my life supporting the Islamic Republic and its new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei."

The committee's statement emphasized that while responsible bodies and grassroots groups have made extensive arrangements, "the primary role in holding these ceremonies belongs to the honorable and ever-present people as the true owners of this mourning."

"The people will create a magnificent and unprecedented display of a popular event, God willing," the statement said.

The office for preserving the works of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution said further details of the ceremonies would be announced later.