Iran designates holidays for former leader Khamenei's funeral, millions expected

Iran is preparing for the state funeral of its former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with authorities designating July 4-6 as public holidays in the capital, Tehran. The decision aims to facilitate massive public participation in the mourning ceremonies, which are expected to draw millions of Iranians.

Hassan Hasanzadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and head of the funeral preparation committee, announced that farewell rituals and prayers will take place on July 4 and 5 at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla. The main funeral procession is scheduled for July 6. He anticipates that approximately 20 million people will attend the funeral, necessitating multiple procession routes across the city to manage the expected crowds.

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The farewell rituals and prayers will be held on July 4 and 5 at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, and the main funeral ceremony will be held on the 6th. Accordingly, Tehran Province will be closed for these three days.

Following the Tehran events, commemorative ceremonies are planned for July 7 in the northern holy city of Qom. Khamenei will be interred on July 9 in his hometown, the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, at the Imam Reza shrine. Neighboring Iraq is also expected to hold memorial events on July 8. The scale of the event is described as a "historically and civilizational" significant moment, marking a grand pledge of allegiance between the revolution's Imam and the Islamic community.

The funeral was initially planned for March but was postponed due to ongoing conflicts. Security, transportation, and accommodation measures are being coordinated by 32 committees involving administrative and security authorities to ensure the smooth execution of the extensive funeral arrangements.

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This ceremony will be the biggest historical and civilizational event, where a grand pledge of allegiance will be made between the Imam of the revolution and the Islamic community.