Iran Begins Multi‑Day State Funeral for Ali Khamenei

Overview

• Private state ceremonies for Ali Khamenei took place on Friday and public events began on Saturday, July 4, with a six‑day program that includes processions to Qom, visits to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, and burial in Mashhad on July 9.
• Iranian commanders have warned the United States and Israel not to mount attacks during the funerals, while authorities imposed airspace restrictions and mobilized large security forces including about 65,000 local agents and roughly 200,000 police and military personnel.
• Delegations from Russia, China, Pakistan and regional Shia groups are attending the ceremonies, and Western and most European leaders were not invited, a choice that underscores Tehran’s diplomatic signaling.
• Mojtaba Khamenei, confirmed as supreme leader in March, has not appeared publicly since he was reportedly wounded in the strike that killed his father, and the regime is using the funerals to try to consolidate his legitimacy.
• The government is orchestrating mass turnout through transport, closures and organized lodging, but deep economic pain and recent waves of protest mean the events will be both a show of state strength and a test of internal cohesion with potential effects on regional ties and U.S.‑Iran talks.