WANA (Jun 02) – Tehran’s Deputy Mayor for Social and Cultural Affairs has unveiled new details about the planned funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announcing that three days of public farewell events are being organized before the official funeral procession.

 

Mohammad Amin Tavakoli-Zadeh said the public will be able to pay their respects during the three-day mourning period. The final venue has not yet been confirmed, but Tehran’s Mosalla prayer complex and the mausoleum of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic, are among the leading options. A final decision is expected to be announced shortly.

 

According to Tavakoli-Zadeh, funeral prayers will be held following the public farewell ceremonies, after which the official procession will begin. He said the funeral procession in Tehran is expected to last at least 24 hours.

 

The ceremonies will then continue in the cities of Qom and Mashhad, two of Iran’s most important religious centers. Tavakoli-Zadeh stated that, in accordance with the late leader’s wishes and recommendations from those close to him, burial is expected to take place near the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad.

 

Officials expect Mashhad to become a major gathering point for mourners arriving from eastern Iran as well as neighboring countries, including Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh and the Kashmir region.

 

Iranian authorities are preparing for what could become one of the largest public gatherings in the country’s modern history. Tavakoli-Zadeh said planning in Tehran is being conducted on the assumption that between 15 and 20 million people could attend the ceremonies.

 

He added that multiple cities surrounding the capital—including Karaj, Qom, Qazvin, Saveh, Semnan, Garmsar and Varamin—are expected to help accommodate visitors and provide logistical support. Local authorities are preparing temporary hosting arrangements to facilitate the movement of mourners traveling from across the country.

 

The deputy mayor said the ceremonies are likely to take place in the third week of June, corresponding to the final days of Dhu al-Hijjah and the beginning of Muharram in the Islamic calendar, although the final schedule has yet to be officially confirmed.

 

Overall command and coordination of the funeral arrangements will be overseen by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), while municipal authorities and other state institutions will assist with logistics and public services.

 

Tavakoli-Zadeh also revealed that officials in Iraq have expressed interest in hosting or participating in parts of the ceremonies. According to him, tribal leaders, religious authorities and members of Iraq’s parliament have submitted requests for Iraq to play a role in the commemorations, though no final decision has been announced.

 

He said ceremonies in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad have already been confirmed, while authorities continue to assess routes, infrastructure and operational requirements for what is expected to be an unprecedented national event.

 

Officials and organizers have described the funeral as more than a state ceremony, saying cultural, artistic and social groups across Iran are also preparing programs to participate in what they expect to become one of the largest public commemorations in the history of the Islamic Republic.