Supreme Leader Khamenei's funeral to be held 4 months after his death: Funeral in Iran's Mashhad, 20 million people can attend funeral

He will be buried nearly four months after the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei will be buried in Mashhad city near the holy shrine complex of Imam Raza, a prominent Shiite Islamist, according to his last wishes. According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Khamenei could be given a final farewell around June 21. He was killed in a US-Israeli strike on his residence in Tehran on February 28. His political funeral was originally scheduled for March 4, but was postponed due to the war. Officials expect about 20 million people to attend funerals in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad. Three days have been earmarked for people to pay their last respects. Khamenei's main funeral will be held in Tehran, which is expected to last at least 24 hours. The body will then be taken to the religious town of Kumh and then to Mashhad, where it will be buried in the dargah premises of Imam Raza. Khamenei's body will be taken to Qom and Mashhad streets as a funeral before the burial, a Tehran municipal official said. This information was given in a statement of the IRGC. If 20 million people attend Khamenei's funeral, it will be a much bigger event than the 1989 record of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic. In 1989, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's funeral was attended by 10 million people. This was about one-sixth of Iran's total population at the time. This event is still considered among the largest funerals in the world. There was such a huge crowd that there was a stampede, in which at least 8 people were killed and thousands were injured. This time the authorities are trying to handle an even bigger crowd and avoid any mishap, but organizing such a big event in a country recovering from the effects of war is considered a big challenge. The IRGC is responsible for Khamenei's funeral, and the delay in the funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is considered unusual in the context of Islamic tradition. Usually, in Islam, a person is buried within a day or two of death. However, according to Iranian officials, the funeral was delayed due to the anticipation of heavy crowds and war conditions. Mohammad Ali Tawakkolizadeh, vice president of social and cultural affairs at the Tehran Municipal Corporation, gave an overview of the preparations for the funeral. He said on state television that a three-day public funeral (funeral) would be held for Khamenei. Why to be buried in Mashhad Mashhad is the second largest city in Iran and is located in the northeastern part of the country. It is considered the most important religious city of Shia Muslims. The biggest identity of Mashhad is the dargah of Imam Raza. He was the eighth Imam of the Shia tradition with twelve Imams. His dargah is considered to be one of the largest religious places in the world. Crores of devotees from Iran and other countries come here every year. With his burial in Mashhad, Khamenei's name will be associated with one of Shia Islam's most respected religious figures. The United States and Israel launched a major military operation against Iran on February 28. During this time, airstrikes were carried out on several strategic locations, including Tehran. According to reports, the home and office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei were also targeted in the attacks. According to reports, Khamenei was present in the bunker at the time of the attack, but was seriously injured in a series of missile and drone attacks. Iranian security sources later confirmed his death. Along with Khamenei, several senior Iranian military and security officials were also killed in the attacks. They included senior commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), intelligence officers and members of the Supreme Leader's security team. According to reports, several of Khamenei's close advisers and officials in his office were also killed in the attack. In addition, there were reports that some scientists involved in the nuclear program were killed in the attacks in Tehran.