Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has confirmed neighbouring Iraq will hold a funeral procession next week for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei, as preparations intensify for week-long ceremonies after the 86-year-old was killed in Israeli–U.S. air raids in February.
“Like Iran, Iraq is preparing for a mass funeral for Grand Ayatollah Khamenei - an event that will undoubtedly be remembered by history and further strengthen the bonds between our two nations,” he said in a post on the social platform X after visiting Iraq.
Authorities in Iran are preparing for week-long farewell and burial processions for the country's second Supreme Leader, who succeeded Ayatollah Seyed Ruhollah Khomeini and was killed on the first day of Israeli–U.S. air raids on 28 February.
Postponed for four months because of wartime conditions, which lasted 40 days, the processions will begin on 4 July and continue for a week across several cities, primarily the capital, Tehran, as well as the religious cities of Qom and Mashhad, where he will be laid to rest.
In addition to a nationwide public holiday next Monday, authorities have announced three days of public holidays in Tehran and two days in Qom and Mashhad to accommodate the millions of mourners expected to attend.
Restrictions have also been imposed on domestic and international flights for logistical reasons, while vehicles entering Tehran with number plates from other cities will be diverted to parking areas on the outskirts of the capital.
Deputy Interior Minister and head of the funeral headquarters Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian told a press conference that representatives from more than 30 countries and religious leaders from more than 90 countries had expressed their readiness to attend the funeral processions.
“A memorial will be held in Tehran on Friday with the presence of foreign leaders, officials, and religious figures to pay tribute to the late leader,” the state-run IRNA news agency quoted him as saying.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led post-Revolution Iran for nearly four decades and shaped the country's domestic and foreign policies more than any other political figure of his generation.
His burial ceremonies are being presented as both a tribute to his legacy and a demonstration of post-war political resilience and continuity following the appointment of his son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, as his successor.
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said in an interview with state broadcaster IRIB TV that no officials from European countries that participated in the Israeli–U.S. war against Iran had been invited to attend the funeral.
“We do not think that the honor of participating in the funeral ceremony of the Supreme Leader of the Revolution should be granted to those who actually supported the aggressors in various ways, whether through their silence or through statements fully supportive of the aggressor.”
He added that the Iraqi government had taken measures to organise the funeral service and had established a committee headed by the prime minister to coordinate the procession.
“Details about how and where the processions are going to take place will be provided by our Iraqi friends in charge of this issue.”
“What was clear to us (during foreign minister Araghchi’s visit to Iraq) was the complete readiness and willingness of the Iraqi government and people,” the spokesman added.
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