Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral to be held on July 9 in Mashhad: Here’s why the date is significant | Today’s news
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the longest-serving supreme leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, will be laid to rest on July 9, state media announced Saturday. According to the announcement, Ali Khamenei’s funeral will begin in Tehran on July 4 and end with his funeral in his hometown, the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, on July 9.
Funeral after 131 days
The 86-year-old, who ruled Iran for nearly 37 years, was killed on February 28 in the opening hours of the US-Israeli attack on Tehran. Ali Khamenei will be buried 131 days after he was killed, unusual under Islamic law, which requires the deceased to be buried as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours of death. Exceptions are allowed, for example, in times of war. Ali Khamenei’s funeral was originally reported to be held in Tehran and Mashhad from March 4 to 6, 2026, but was postponed due to the war.
Meaning of July 9th
According to state media, Ali Khamenei’s funeral will include rites on July 7 in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran. The funeral service will begin at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Mosalle on July 4 and 5, which corresponds to the 19 and 20 days of Muharram.
A funeral procession in Tehran is planned for July 6, followed by another procession in Qom on July 7. The final funeral ceremony will be held in the holy city of Mashhad on July 9, the eve of the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Sajjad, the great-grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the fourth imam in Shiite Islam.
Ali Khamenei was killed along with his family
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed along with several members of his immediate family and key Iranian military officials during joint US-Israeli airstrikes on his residence in Tehran.
These include his daughter Boshra Khamenei, his daughter-in-law Zahra Haddad-Adel, son-in-law Mesbah Bagheri Kani and granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani.
Where is Mojtaba Khamenei?
Ali Khamenei’s son Mojtab Khamenei, who was also reportedly injured in the attack but survived, succeeded his father as Iran’s new supreme leader just days later.
Read also | Is Mojtaba Khamenei alive? USA says “We haven’t seen him in public…”
Since his appointment as Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public and there has been speculation that he may be incapacitated and that the country is being run by Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), claims that the leadership in Tehran has repeatedly denied.
US and Iran close to reaching peace deal
The announcement of Ali Khamenei’s funeral date coincided with progress in peace talks between the US and Iran. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that Iran and the United States had agreed on the framework of a peace deal after more than three months of war and were expected to sign the first deal within the next 24 hours.
While acknowledging that progress had been made, Iran ruled out signing a memorandum in Islamabad on Sunday.
“We have to wait and see the exact time of the signing; even if it won’t be tomorrow,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, according to the IRNA news agency.
“The possibility of this happening in the coming days cannot be ruled out,” he added after mediator Pakistan said Iran and the United States could finalize a deal within 24 hours.
Key things
- The funeral of Ali Khamenei marks a significant historical event in Iran that coincides with potential geopolitical changes.
- The unusual delay in the burial reflects the ongoing unrest and warlike conditions in the region.
- Khamenei’s legacy and succession may affect Iran’s future relations with the US and other countries.
