20 Million Mourners Expected as Tehran, Qom, Mashhad Prepare for “Unprecedented” Procession After US-Israeli Strikes

Tehran, June 3, 2026  Iran will hold a three day state funeral for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28, officials confirmed Tuesday. 

Tehran Deputy Mayor Mohammad Amin Tavakolizadeh said the funeral was postponed from March 4 due to the war but will now include public ceremonies in Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad. 

Key Details:

The ceremony in Tehran alone will last at least 24 hours . Authorities are preparing for up to 20 million attendees in the capital. Khamenei will be buried in Mashhad, likely at the shrine of Imam Ali Reza

 No final date announced, but expected in mid-June during the Islamic month of Muharram .

Khamenei, 86, led Iran for nearly 37 years and was killed in his Tehran residence along with his wife, daughter, and grandchild when US and Israeli forces struck during the opening phase of the war. His son Mojtaba Khamenei succeeded him in March but has not appeared publicly since, raising questions about his health. 

Tavakolizadeh called it an “unprecedented event” due to Khamenei’s political and religious stature. The delay violated Islamic tradition of burial within days, but officials cited “logistical challenges” managing massive crowds. 

Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB said the “farewell, funeral and burial ceremonies of ‘Martyred Imam’” are being finalized. Organizers describe it as more than a state ceremony – potentially one of the largest public gatherings since the Islamic Republic’s founding.

 The US-Israeli war that killed Khamenei has spread across the region, disrupted global energy markets, and left Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei unseen since his appointment. 

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Mojtaba is “alive” and “increasingly engaging” as nuclear talks stall. Iran must reopen the Strait of Hormuz and scale back uranium enrichment for sanctions relief, Rubio added. 

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