Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, has requested that millions of citizens join the upcoming funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Scheduled for Saturday, the event serves as a platform to honor the late leader’s impact and demonstrate the nation’s unified stance to the world. Khamenei, the 86-year-old spiritual figurehead, died on February 28 during U.S.-Israeli airstrikes in Tehran.
Ghalibaf stated that the funeral should be a powerful display of the nation’s demand for vengeance. While a temporary ceasefire is currently in place between Iran and the United States, the scale of this gathering is expected to be unprecedented, with officials projecting an attendance of 15 to 20 million people.
Tehran’s Grand Mosalla will host the main service, where the bodies of Khamenei and several deceased family members will be presented. Public holidays are set for Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad, with significant travel and operational restrictions in effect. Following the initial ceremonies, the remains will travel to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq before a final burial on July 9 at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.
International interest is high, with representatives from 30 nations and thousands of mourners from surrounding countries expected to participate. There is currently no confirmation regarding whether his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, will appear at the proceedings.
