Mourning Ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Begin in Iran

In Tehran, preparations are underway for the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. After lying in state in the capital, his body will be taken through some of Shiite Islam’s most revered sites during a four-day procession anticipated to attract millions.

Public mourning began on Saturday morning for Ayatollah Khamenei, marking a weeklong series of events filled with Shiite Islamic traditions. The procession will cover numerous key locations before concluding in Iraq.

Reports from Iranian state media state that Ayatollah Khamenei’s body will travel through at least five cities, starting in Tehran over the weekend and ending on Thursday in Mashhad, his birthplace and one of the holiest cities in Iran. Along the journey, his remains will pass by some of Shiite Islam’s most sacred shrines.

Mourning ceremonies started on Friday as foreign leaders visited the location in Tehran where his body is displayed, the Grand Mosalla. This large prayer complex also served as a venue for his important speeches during his 30-year leadership. Ayatollah Khamenei was killed on February 28 at the onset of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, and his funeral had been postponed due to the ongoing hostilities.

Under Iran’s theocratic governance, Khamenei held the highest authority across all governmental branches and was the nation’s chief cleric. For his followers in Iran and beyond, his death holds spiritual importance beyond mere politics.

The series of funerary rituals presents a major logistical task for Iran’s leadership, as they occur amidst the unresolved war with the United States and intense summer heat.

It remains uncertain if Mojtaba Khamenei, the late leader’s son and successor, will take part in the events. Injured in an airstrike concurrent with his father’s death, he has not appeared publicly since.