Tens of Millions to Attend Funeral Ceremonies of Iran’s Martyred Leader

Crescent International

Muharram 16, 1448 2026-07-01

Daily News Analysis

by Crescent International

More than 20 million people are expected to attend the funeral ceremonies of Iran’s martyred leader, Imam Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

These will include the people of Iran as well as ulama from 90 countries.

Leaders from some 30 countries will also be present.

And then, there will be hundreds of thousands of Islamic movement activists from all over the world.

Some European regimes wanted to send representatives but the Islamic Republic turned them away.

Iranian officials did not want a solemn ceremony like the funeral of the martyred Leader to be polluted by their hypocritical presence.

The ceremonies will be held over a two-day period: July 4 and 5, in Tehran.

To manage the massive crowds, the authorities have made elaborate arrangements.

Brigadier General Hassan Hassanzadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)’s Tehran Command, heads the headquarters responsible for overseeing the ceremonies.

He said the upcoming event will feature farewell ceremonies, funeral prayers, and funeral processions.

In a television interview on June 27, he detailed the route, schedule, logistical preparations, public services, and safety measures.

Two major ceremonies are scheduled for Tehran, according to the IRGC commander.

The first will be the public farewell ceremony and funeral prayers at the Imam Khomeini Musalla (Grand Prayer Grounds) in Tehran.

The second will be the funeral procession, which will take place at a separate location the following day.

Before his burial on July 9 in Mashhad, the city of his birth, there will be funeral ceremonies for the late Leader in other cities as well as in Iraq.

The public farewell will begin at 6:00 am (Tehran time) on July 4.

To manage congestion, organizers have designed separate entrance and exit routes at the Prayer Grounds.

To manage the movement of crowds and keeping in view the people’s emotions, organizers estimate that each visitor will require approximately 15 to 20 minutes to enter the venue, pay respects, and leave.

Appealing to the public, the IRGC commander encouraged mourners to proceed towards the exits after paying their respects so that others also get an opportunity to attend.

This will not be easy since people often become quite emotional on such occasions and are reluctant to leave.

This was witnessed when Imam Khomeini passed away in June 1989.

The revolutionary guards tasked with crowd control duties themselves became quite emotional.

They surged forward to touch the Imam’s coffin.

An stimated 10 million people attended Imam Khomeini’s funeral in June 1989.

This time, the crowds are estimated to be twice as large.

The logistics are quite daunting.

The authorities have urged Iranian visitors to limit the duration of their stay in Tehran because of the expected size of crowds.

The body of the martyred Leader will lie in state on an elevated platform that will be visible throughout the Prayer Grounds.

The formal funeral prayers will be held on the morning of July 5.

A special seating area has been designated for the late Leader’s family.

Foreign leaders will also be seated in a designated area.

Officials of the Islamic Republic and senior commanders of the Revolutionary Guards, Army, Air Force and Navy will also be in attendance.

The late Leader was very fond of Qur’an reciters and always encouraged and blessed them in their recitation.

There will be internationally recognized Qur’an reciters, religious poets, eulogists, and other cultural and religious groups during the 48-hour farewell ceremony as part of the official program.

Five dedicated service centers will be established around the Prayer Grounds.

These will provide drinking water, meals, medical services, sanitation facilities, prayer areas, and other welfare support to people.

Tehran’s metro network and municipal bus fleet will also be deployed to transport participants.

There is a metro station right underneath the Prayer Grounds facilitating convenient access for people.

On July 5, the funeral procession will proceed along a broad corridor across the capital.

To facilitate movement, vehicle access will be restricted within the ceremony zone.

All executive agencies, municipal authorities, healthcare providers, military and law enforcement organizations, cultural institutions, and public service bodies have been mobilized for the ceremonies.

Imam Khamenei (ra) was martyred by the zionists in a criminal attack on the Bait-e Rahbari (office and residence of the late Leader) on February 28.

Several members of his family as well as most top military commanders were also martyred in the zionists’ criminal attack.

The aggression by the evil duo, the US and zionist Israel, killed more than 3,500 people in Iran and injured 25,000 others before a ceasefire was announced on April 7.

The war criminals also caused massive damage to Iran’s civilian infrastructure that consitute war crimes.

The Islamic Republic retaliated by targeting US-zionist military installations.

Most US bases in the region were severely damaged resulting in the Trump regime begging for a ceasefire.

True to their duplicitous nature, the US and zionist Israel have continued to violate the ceasefire terms.

Iran has vowed to retaliate harshly if the evil duo persist in their crimes.