Tehran: Iran has released comprehensive details of the funeral and burial ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in a US-Israeli airstrike on February 28, 2016. The ceremonies, scheduled from July 3 to July 9, will take place across Iran and Iraq and are expected to see significant international participation.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian, Secretary of the National Headquarters organizing the funeral, confirmed that delegations from over 100 countries have committed to participating in the official mourning ceremonies, which are set to be among the largest funeral events in West Asia. Over 300 foreign journalists have registered to cover these proceedings, highlighting the global interest in the event.

The announced program indicates that the ceremonies will commence on July 3 in Tehran, featuring official events for heads of state and foreign delegations. Public funeral processions will begin on July 4, with an anticipated participation of between 15 and 20 million people in Tehran alone.

On July 5, a mass funeral prayer will be held, followed by the main funeral procession on July 6. The ceremonies will continue in Qom on July 7 with mourning rituals and prayers. The body will then be moved to Najaf and Karbala on July 8 for official reception ceremonies. The funeral will conclude on July 9 in Mashhad, where Ayatollah Khamenei will be interred near the shrine of Imam Reza, with a final procession expected to draw a large crowd.

Dignitaries including Russian President Vladimir Putin's special representative Dmitry Medvedev, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon have confirmed their attendance, along with high-ranking officials from China, India, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and Georgia.

The ceremonies are being coordinated by a special national committee led by Iran's First Vice President. Tehran has described the preparations as the largest of their kind, with extensive organizational and security measures in place to ensure the smooth execution of events and the reception of both official delegations and participants from within Iran and abroad.