Iran postpones funeral ceremonies for late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei until the end of June
The official funeral for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the US-Israeli airstrikes on the first day of the war on February 28, will be postponed until the end of June or July, the mayor of Tehran said Thursday.
Iran had previously announced that it planned to hold the three-day ceremony at the beginning of Muharram, which corresponds to early June.
But Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani said in a statement carried by the Fars News Agency that the ceremonies were postponed until after the first ten days of Muharram to allow believers to complete their annual mourning for Imam Hussein.
This means that Khamenei’s funeral will take place during the second ten days of Muharram, between June 26 and July 5.
Officials in Tehran have previously stated that they expect 20 million people to attend.
Khamenei, who led the Islamic Republic for nearly 37 years, was killed at his residence in central Tehran on February 28.
The official funeral, originally scheduled for March 4, was postponed due to the war.
