Iran readies funeral for former supreme leader Khamenei

TEHRAN

Preparations are ongoing at the Mosalla Mosque, the main prayer site in Tehran, for the funeral ceremony of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a U.S.-Israeli strike on Feb. 28.

A large platform has been installed in the mosque courtyard to place Khamenei’s coffin and the coffins of other officials killed in the same attack, according to an Anadolu correspondent.

The area around the platform was surrounded by concrete blocks, with strict restrictions imposed on access to the site.

A cooling system was also installed in the mosque courtyard to reduce the impact of high temperatures on participants in the funeral ceremonies.

An official international memorial ceremony is scheduled for July 3, with the participation of heads of state, senior officials and religious leaders.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the funeral, the South Asian nation's foreign ministry said on July 2.

"The Prime Minister, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, will go to Iran and Türkiye from 3-5 July... he will go to Iran first for (the) supreme leader's funeral," ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi told reporters.

Pakistan has been mediating between the United States and Iran to end the regional war which began in February with U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed the 86-year-old Iranian supreme leader in Tehran.

Andrabi reiterated earlier statements from Pakistan and fellow mediator Qatar that U.S.-Iranian indirect talks in Doha this week had made progress and another meeting could take place after Khamenei's funeral.

"Qatar & Pakistan mediators concluded separate meetings with the U.S. & Iranian negotiators in Doha today, with positive progress made on issues related to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, building on the outcomes of the Lake Lucerne Summit,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari wrote on X on July 1.

"The parties agreed to continue discussions over the coming period, with the next meeting to be scheduled at the earliest possible time following the funeral processions of the former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei,” he added.

Public funeral ceremonies are expected to begin July 4, with participants gathering from 6 a.m. local time at the Mosalla Mosque to observe a minute of silence and offer condolences.

Authorities plan to bury Khamenei’s body on July 9 at the Imam Reza shrine in the city of Mashhad.

On June 17, Iran and the U.S. reached a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending their military conflict. It provides a framework for addressing outstanding issues between Washington and Tehran through negotiations, including a cessation of hostilities, sanctions relief, the nuclear file, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and broader regional security arrangements.