Overview
- State funerals for Ayatollah Ali Chamenei began on Saturday, July 4, in Tehran with the casket on public display and thousands of mourners arriving at the Mosalla complex.
- Authorities have mobilized tens of thousands of security personnel, closed parts of Tehran and restricted airspace while the IRGC warned of harsh retaliation for any ‘miscalculation’.
- Modschtaba Chamenei was named successor in early March but has not appeared at the ceremonies, raising questions about his health and the regime’s visible leadership.
- A fragile ceasefire from April remains in place and U.S.-Iran talks have been paused for the funeral period, a pause U.S. officials say was granted to respect the ceremonies.
- Ceremonies will move to the religious cities of Ghom and to Shiite shrines in Iraq before burial in Mashhad, an orchestrated regional display the government is using to test domestic support after earlier mass protests.