By Gloria Ogbonna
Iran has begun an elaborate multi-day state funeral for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with ceremonies taking place on July 4 and 5 under heightened security and amid renewed warnings directed at the United States and Israel.
The announcement of the funeral was accompanied by strong statements from Iranian military officials, who cautioned Washington and Jerusalem against carrying out any military action during the period of national mourning. Iranian leaders warned that any attack on the country would be met with what they described as a swift and severe military response.
“We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the U.S. and the Zionist regime, to avoid any miscalculation and to think about the harsh retaliation our armed forces would make to any threat and aggression against our country,” Iranian military commander Ali Abdollahi said in a statement published Thursday by state-run media.
According to Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the first stage of Khamenei’s funeral began Friday morning as his body, along with those of several companions killed alongside him, was transferred to the main prayer hall of Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Mosque. Thousands of mourners gathered as religious leaders, government officials, military commanders, and supporters paid their respects during the opening ceremonies.
Iranian state media reported that the funeral has drawn widespread international attention, with representatives from Islamic organizations, civic groups, and anti-war movements from several European nations—including Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Austria—traveling to Tehran either to attend the ceremonies or provide media coverage.
International delegations from approximately 30 countries are also expected to participate in the funeral, according to reports by EuroNews and Iranian state media.
Russia has sent former President and current Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev as the special envoy of President Vladimir Putin. China is represented by the vice chair of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government is sending acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, while Iranian media have also reported that Prime Minister Hassan Akhund and Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front, could attend portions of the ceremonies.
Iraq’s delegation includes President Nizar Amidi, Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halboosi, and Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdistan Region.
Among the world leaders expected to attend are Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili, and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon. Iranian media have also reported unconfirmed speculation that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tairque Rahman may travel to Tehran for the funeral.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said European leaders were intentionally excluded from the guest list because of what Tehran described as their “shameful” support for recent U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran. Instead, invitations were extended to countries that Iranian officials said had stood “on the right side of history” during the conflict.
Khamenei’s body will remain in state at the Grand Mosalla Mosque until Monday, allowing mourners from across Iran to pay their final respects. A massive funeral procession is then scheduled to move through the streets of Tehran before additional religious ceremonies take place in several holy cities.
According to IRNA, the funeral events will continue in the religious city of Qom before extending beyond Iran’s borders to Baghdad, Karbala, and Najaf in neighboring Iraq. The final burial ceremony is scheduled for July 9 in Mashhad, Khamenei’s hometown, where he will be laid to rest at the revered Imam Reza Shrine. The shrine, which houses the tomb of the eighth Imam of Shia Islam, is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites for Shiite Muslims worldwide.
Iranian officials have also announced that national commemorative events honoring Khamenei will continue for 40 days following his burial, in keeping with longstanding Islamic mourning traditions.
President Masoud Pezeshkian used social media to urge citizens from all backgrounds to participate in the funeral, describing it as an opportunity to demonstrate national unity during a difficult period in the country’s history.
“As heroic Iran prepares to bid farewell to the sincere servant of Islam and the Revolution, I invite all people, regardless of ethnicity, religion, political taste or orientation, to participate with enthusiasm, dignity and in historic numbers, demonstrating a lasting image of national unity and loyalty to the lofty ideals of the Islamic establishment,” the president wrote on X.
Meanwhile, Iranian authorities have implemented sweeping security measures across the capital. According to the BBC, all public and private offices in Tehran have been ordered to close from Saturday through Monday, while much of the city’s central districts have been shut down to vehicle traffic to accommodate the funeral processions and security operations. Officials have also announced partial airspace restrictions beginning Friday, with a complete closure of Tehran’s airspace planned for Monday.
Iranian officials confirmed that additional memorial events have been requested by groups in Iraq, prompting Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to travel to Baghdad to coordinate ceremonies described as carrying significant symbolic importance.
Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the opening phase of Operation Epic Fury on February 28. The strike also killed several of his senior advisers, top military officials, and members of his family. His son and designated successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, was reportedly seriously injured during the attack and has not appeared publicly since. Although Iranian military statements have periodically been attributed to him, his prolonged absence has fueled speculation about his health and whether he will make a public appearance during his father’s funeral ceremonies.
His appearance—or continued absence—at the funeral is expected to be closely watched both inside Iran and internationally, as observers look for indications about the country’s future leadership and political stability following the death of one of the Islamic Republic’s most influential figures.
Source Breitbart
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