Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani confirmed that the funeral procession for former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will take place in late June or early July 2026. The announcement comes nearly four months after Khamenei was assassinated on February 28, 2026, during US-Israeli airstrikes, with ongoing war conditions forcing repeated delays to what Iranian authorities intend to be one of the largest state funerals in the country’s history.

Iranian officials are planning a three-day public ceremony with processions in Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad. Authorities expect attendance figures as high as 20 million people, a number that would rival the turnout for Ayatollah Khomeini’s funeral in 1989.

Why the four-month delay

The funeral was originally scheduled for early March, just days after the assassination. Active military conflict made that timeline impossible.

Iran’s authorities confirmed the burial would take place after Ashura, a period during the Islamic month of Muharram that holds deep significance in Shia Islam.

Tehran Deputy Mayor Mohammad Amin Tavakoli-Zadeh laid out funeral logistics in early June, signaling that the planning apparatus has shifted from contingency mode to active preparation.

Khamenei was 86 at the time of his death. He had served as Supreme Leader since 1989, making his tenure one of the longest continuous leadership periods in the modern Middle East.

The crypto angle hiding in the background

Iran’s crypto exchanges, including Nobitex, one of the largest domestic platforms, have been identified in the context of sanctions evasion efforts. The US Treasury has kept a close eye on these operations, and the broader war has only intensified that scrutiny.

No specific tokens have been directly linked to the funeral or the political transition.