Ali Khamenei Funeral to Begin in Tehran on 4 July

The funeral of late Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will begin in Tehran on 4 July and conclude with his burial in the northeastern city of Mashhad on 9 July, state media reported on Saturday.

The funeral rites will also include a ceremony on 7 July in the holy city of Qom, south of Tehran. While Islamic law usually requires the deceased to be buried within 24 hours, exceptions are possible in times of war.

Khamenei was killed on 28 February during Israeli and US air strikes on Iran. The 86-year-old cleric had headed the Islamic Republic for 36 years.

During his tenure, he built Iran's regional influence through allied armed groups including Hezbollah in Lebanon, while cracking down hard on anti-government unrest at home. He was one of the most vocal critics of the United States throughout his reign, with disputes between Tehran and Washington persisting particularly over Iran's nuclear program.

The air strike that killed him destroyed his compound in central Tehran. His son Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, became the new supreme leader.

(reuters, max)