Tehran is preparing for an unprecedented six-day funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on 28 February in strikes on his residence. Iranian officials expect millions of mourners and delegations from roughly 30 countries, but no European or Western nations will be present.
Khamenei's body has lain in state at Tehran's Grand Mosalla, the country's largest prayer complex. State media showed black-clad mourners, many from families of those killed in the 2025 conflict and the recent Iran war, throwing scarves and other items to brush against the coffin—a common Shiite practice seen as a blessing. The casket was draped in a red flag with white calligraphy reading 'Ya Hussein,' a reference to the 7th-century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson. The flag, which had flown over the Imam Hussein shrine in Karbala, Iraq, traditionally symbolises both the blood of someone unjustly killed and a call for vengeance.
The dead include Khamenei's son-in-law, his eldest daughter, a 14-month-old granddaughter, and the wife of Iran's new Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the previous leader who remains in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the attack. Iran's Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and President Masoud Pezeshkian have already paid their respects.
Who Is Attending
Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said at least eight heads of government or state and parliamentary speakers from 12 countries would attend. Russia is sending former President Dmitry Medvedev as special envoy of President Vladimir Putin. China is represented by the vice chair of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Afghanistan's Taliban government will send acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, with reports that Prime Minister Hassan Akhund and Ahmad Massoud, leader of the National Resistance Front, may also attend.
Iraq's delegation is headed by President Nizar Amidi and parliamentary speaker Haibet al-Halboosi, alongside Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdistan Region. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend with army chief Asim Munir. India is sending Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain, governor of Bihar, and Foreign Affairs Minister Pabitra Margherita. Turkey is represented by Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz. Azerbaijan's delegation is led by parliamentary speaker Sahiba Gafarova, with reports that President Ilham Aliyev may also attend.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Georgian President Mikheil Kavelashvili, and Tajik President Emomoni Rahmon are also expected. Kazakhstan's deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev and Turkmenistan's Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow will attend. Further delegations are coming from Bangladesh, Malaysia, Oman, Qatar, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Ghana, Nicaragua, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Serbia, and Cuba. Iranian media also list Tunisia, Lebanon, Namibia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, the Gambia, and Thailand, as well as representatives of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Economic Cooperation Organisation.
Baghaei said no European country had been formally invited. Those attending, he said, were 'standing on the right side of history,' while he accused European governments of a 'shameful' stance towards US and Israeli military action against Iran. Countries that Tehran saw as having taken 'an inappropriate position' on the strikes were not invited.
Six Days of Mourning
Iran has announced a six-day funeral programme. Public farewell ceremonies begin at Tehran's Grand Mosalla on Saturday and Sunday, followed by a funeral procession. Ceremonies continue in Qom on Monday, before religious ceremonies on Wednesday in Najaf and Karbala, two of Iraq's holiest Shia sites. The final funeral and burial will take place in Mashhad on Wednesday, where Khamenei will be buried near the shrine of Imam Reza.
Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad will be closed during the relevant ceremonies. All public and private offices in Tehran have been ordered shut from Saturday to Monday, with much of the city centre closed to private vehicles. Tehran's airspace will also be restricted.
For context, the funeral comes amid ongoing tensions with the West. The US-Iran talks in Doha had yielded some progress, but a future meeting is now set after the funeral. Meanwhile, the EU continues to navigate its relationship with Iran, as seen in the EU Diplomatic Service's new leadership with a defence focus.
