Iran’s ex-supreme leader Ali Khamenei to be buried after Ashura Day this month

Iran’s former supreme leader Ali Khamenei will be buried after Ashura later this month, with funeral ceremonies expected to take place following the first 10 days of Muharram, organisers said on June 9.

A statement published on the former leader’s official website said the interment would take place “after the first 10 days of Muharram”, referring to the Islamic month that begins next week, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The 10th day of Muharram, known as Ashura, is expected to fall on June 25 or 26.

The funeral committee did not announce a precise date or location for the burial, saying “final coordination” was ongoing to facilitate attendance for mourners.

Ashura is one of the most significant dates in the Shia Islamic calendar, marking the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, at the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD.

Iranian officials have previously said preparations were under way for large-scale public funeral ceremonies, including events planned in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad, with authorities anticipating large crowds along procession routes.

Tehran’s deputy mayor for social and cultural affairs, Mohammad Amin Tavakolizadeh, was cited as saying earlier this month that the capital was preparing for up to several days of public mourning events, with participation potentially reaching millions.

The announcement follows reports that Khamenei was killed in a US-Israeli strike in Tehran on February 28. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been named by Iranian officials as his successor but has not appeared publicly since the incident, according to earlier statements.

By Aghakazim Guliyev