Iran and Iraq Host Extensive Mourning Ceremonies for Late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei

State-organized mourning ceremonies honoring the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, commenced on Saturday and are scheduled to continue throughout the week, attracting an estimated 10 million participants as delegations travel across multiple cities in both Iran and Iraq.

According to Iran’s government media outlets, Ayatollah Khamenei’s remains will be moved across at least five cities, beginning in Tehran over the weekend and concluding in Mashhad — the country’s most sacred city, where the Ayatollah was born — on Thursday. The procession is anticipated to include several of Shiite Islam’s most sacred sites.

Social distancing and mask-wearing measures have been enforced at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran, where Ayatollah Khamenei’s body has been on display since Friday. The site has attracted international delegations from various nations visiting the capital to pay their respects at the leader’s memorial. Ayatollah Khamenei passed away on February 28 at the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, and his funeral had been postponed for several months due to the ongoing conflict.

In Iran’s theocratic system, Ayatollah Khamenei held the highest positions in the government as well as the nation’s highest clerical post. For many Shiite followers in Iran and the broader Muslim world, he was a respected figure whose death holds profound religious significance beyond mere politics.

Next week’s funeral ceremonies present a significant logistical challenge for Iran’s regime, even as it continues to face an unresolved conflict with the United States and endures intense summer heat.

It is unclear whether Ayatollah Khamenei’s son and designated successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, will attend the ceremonies. He was injured in an airstrike that coincided with his father’s death and has not been seen in public since that time.

The following is a detailed overview of the cities where public mourning processions will be conducted.

Tehran

Over the weekend, Ayatollah Khamenei’s body will be displayed at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran. Public viewing platforms have been constructed. At 6 a.m. on Saturday, the complex will open to the public. Iranian officials have declared Saturday a public holiday.

On Monday, the coffin will be carried in a funeral procession through Tehran, marking the beginning[ABORTED]

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