Iran has announced that the late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will be laid to rest on July 9 at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, according to reports from Iranian state television.
Funeral ceremonies are scheduled to begin on July 4 in Tehran, more than four months after Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike. Iranian officials confirmed his death on March 1, a day after the February 28 attack.
The burial date comes after several postponements of the funeral arrangements. Authorities said Khamenei will be interred at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, one of the most revered sites in Shia Islam.
A period of national mourning has been declared ahead of the funeral rites. Processions honoring the late leader are expected to take place in Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad, with each event lasting at least 24 hours in accordance with Khamenei’s wishes.
Iranian authorities are preparing for massive crowds, with estimates suggesting that as many as 20 million people could participate in funeral activities across the country.
Khamenei served as Iran’s Supreme Leader for 37 years, taking office in 1989 following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Assembly of Experts has announced Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new Supreme Leader following the death of his father.
The influential clerical body said Mojtaba emerged through what it described as a decisive vote and called on citizens, particularly scholars, intellectuals, and members of academic and religious institutions, to support the new leadership and uphold the stability of the Islamic Republic.
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