Iran bids farewell to its Supreme Leader: mourning ceremonies to be held in three cities
A farewell ceremony for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was held in Tehran on Friday, attended by senior Iranian leaders and officials. Among those present were President Masoud Pezeshkian, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi.
According to the official schedule, a series of funeral and farewell ceremonies will be held across the country in the coming days. On Tuesday, Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian, Iran's Deputy Interior Minister and head of the funeral organising headquarters, announced that after Friday's ceremony, farewell rites would take place on Saturday and Sunday at the Imam Khomeini prayer hall in Mosalla, with a funeral procession scheduled for Monday in Tehran.
The Iranian capital is bracing for massive crowds on Monday, when the city-wide procession is expected to draw an estimated 15 million mourners. All public transport in Tehran will be free, and the metro will operate around the clock. The city centre will be completely closed to vehicles, with pedestrian access only. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is in charge of security. After the events in Tehran on July 7, a procession will be held in Qom for Khamenei and his family. The final burial is scheduled for July 9 in Mashhad, the sacred city in northeastern Iran and the birthplace of the late Supreme Leader.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a US Israeli strike on Tehran on February 28, 2026. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, was elected as Iran's new Supreme Leader in March. As CCTV+ reports, the international community is closely watching the mourning ceremonies, which demonstrate the organisational capability of the Iranian state during a leadership transition. To conclude this report, let us remember: history continues even in the saddest hour.
