The state funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei is expected to last a week with processions and celebrations scheduled in several cities. The office responsible for preserving and publishing the late leader’s works has released the full timeline, according to Iran’s official news agency Press TV.
The Ayatollah was assassinated by US military forces at his residence in Tehran on February 28. The aggression also led to the assassination of several other senior military leaders.
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Khamenei’s funeral schedule
According to a statement issued by Khamenei’s office, the farewell ceremony for Imam Khomeini’s prayer hall in Tehran is expected to be held on July 4 and 5, corresponding to the 19 and 20 of the holy month of Muharram. A funeral procession is expected to be held in Tehran on July 6, followed by another procession in the holy city of Qom on July 7.
The final funeral ceremonies will be held in the holy city of Mashhad on July 9, which coincides with the eve of the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Al-Sajjad (peace be upon him). Then the body of the former leader will be buried in the holy shrine of Imam Reza (peace be upon him).
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The organizers’ statement said: “All honorable and dear people, free people of the world, followers of the Islamic doctrine, and those interested in Iran were invited to attend this event.” This occasion is expected to witness large public participation.
In addition, the statement thanked government bodies and popular groups for their extensive preparations, and placed the responsibility for organizing on the people themselves as “the true owners of the morning.”
The Iranian Assembly of Experts, a body of 88 clerics, announced Khamenei’s son Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei as his successor days after the former’s assassination, making him the third leader of the Islamic Revolution.
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Efforts are currently underway to broker a peace deal to stop the conflict in West Asia that has choked the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for shipments, and which has sent global fuel prices soaring.
