Iran Plans Massive Funeral for Supreme Leader Khamenei with Possible Airborne Procession

Iranian authorities are preparing for an unprecedented funeral for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an airstrike on February 28 amid the US-Israel conflict in Iran. Officials expect over 35 million mourners nationwide, prompting consideration of an airborne funeral procession to manage the immense crowds. The six-day mourning period will begin on July 4 in Tehran with a continuous 24-hour ceremony and conclude on July 9 in Khamenei's hometown of Mashhad, where he will be buried.

Estimates indicate 6 to 17 million attendees in Tehran, 3 to 5 million in Qom, and 3.5 to 8 million in Mashhad. Security and traffic measures are being extensively planned to accommodate the massive turnout. Khamenei, aged 86, had led Iran since 1989. His son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was seriously injured in the same attack, was appointed leader a week after his father's death but has not appeared publicly since, raising questions about his health and presence at the funeral.