Key facts
- Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's state funeral has been postponed.
- The funeral is now expected to take place between June 26 and July 5.
- The delay is to accommodate the annual mourning period for Imam Hussein.
- Khamenei was killed on February 28, with his funeral initially planned for March 4.
- Officials expect 20 million people to attend the funeral.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's state funeral has been postponed until late June or early July, according to Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani. The ceremony was initially planned for early Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, which would have placed it in early June.
The postponement is intended to allow the faithful to complete their annual mourning of Imam Hussein, a revered early Shia leader. This means Khamenei's funeral will likely occur between June 26 and July 5.
Khamenei, who led the Islamic republic for nearly 37 years, was killed on February 28. A state funeral initially scheduled for March 4 was previously postponed due to the ongoing war. Tehran officials anticipate that 20 million people will attend the funeral.