Iran's Khamenei To Be Laid To Rest Near Imam Shrine In Mashhad, Over 20 Million Mourners Expected

Last Updated:June 03, 2026, 14:31 IST

Funeral ceremonies for the slain leader will be held in three cities — Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad — with around 20 million mourners expected to throng the sites

Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be laid to rest near the shrine of Imam Reza in the holy city of Mashhad, in line with his final wish of being buried next to one of Shia Islam’s most revered figures.

The 86-year-old Iranian leader — one of the longest-serving heads of state in West Asia — was killed on February 28 in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on the opening day of the war between Tehran and the two allies. Several other family members, including his daughter, were also killed in the attack.

According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Khamenei’s funeral is likely to be held around June 21 and could see one of the largest public gatherings in modern history.

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Funeral ceremonies for the slain leader will be held in three cities — Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad — with around 20 million mourners expected to throng the sites, Iranian state media reported.

In addition, three full days have been declared for public viewings and farewells. The main funeral ceremony will be held in Tehran and is expected to last at least 24 hours, followed by processions in Qom and Mashhad, reports suggested.

Khamenei’s body will be carried in funeral processions through the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad before his burial next to the shrine of Imam Reza, according a statement by the IRGC.

There has been no update on the body of Ali Khamenei since February 28, when he was killed in the U.S.-Israeli strikes at his office-cum-residence in the Iranian capital.

Logistical Challenges Amid Wartime Situation

In Islam, the burial typically takes place within a couple of days of death. However, officials earlier indicated the delay in holding Khamenei’s funeral was driven by the massive scale of expected attendance of mourners, coupled with the chaos and disruption of public order during the wartime situation.

According to officials, the expected attendance at the Iranian leader’s funeral could surpass the record set by the 1989 funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini — the founder of the Islamic Republic — that drew an estimated 10 million people from across the country.

Roughly one-sixth of the Iranian population at the time, the figure was recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest proportion of a national population ever to witness a funeral.

Who Was Ayatollah Ali Khamenei?

Born on April 19, 1939 in Iran’s Mashhad, Ali Hosseini Khamenei was a Shia cleric who served as the second Supreme Leader of Iran after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.

His tenure as supreme leader since 1989 — the year of the foundation of the Islamic Republic — spanning 36 years and six months, made him the longest-serving head of state in the region.

The choice of Mashhad for his funeral is symbolic. Burial near the shrine of a revered figure speaks volumes about Khamenei’s legacy in the eyes of his admirers. He has often been viewed as a political and religious leader who guided the country through sanctions, protests, and conflicts.

Post his assassination, his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was chosen as his successor.

News world Iran's Khamenei To Be Laid To Rest Near Imam Shrine In Mashhad, Over 20 Million Mourners Expected

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