Dubai. Iranian state media have reported that funeral ceremonies for the country’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will begin in Tehran on July 4 and conclude with his burial in his hometown of Mashhad on July 9.
According to the reports, the ceremonies will also include a religious observance in the holy city of Qom on July 7, south of the Iranian capital.
The 86-year-old cleric, who had led the Islamic Republic for 36 years, is said to have died following Israeli and United States airstrikes on Iran on February 28, which reportedly targeted a central Tehran compound and caused extensive destruction.
State media further claim that Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, who was reportedly injured in the same strike and lost his wife, has succeeded him as Supreme Leader.
Islamic tradition requires burial to take place as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours of death, although exceptions are made in extraordinary circumstances, including wartime conditions, the reports noted.
During his long rule, Khamenei was described as having strengthened Iran’s regional influence, building alliances with proxy groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, while maintaining a hardline stance against internal dissent and Western pressure.
He remained a vocal critic of the United States throughout his leadership, even as successive American administrations attempted to resolve long-standing disputes over Iran’s nuclear programme.
In a further development reported by Pakistani media, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is said to have stated that Iran and the United States have agreed on a framework for a peace deal after more than three months of conflict, with an initial agreement expected to be signed within 24 hours.
