Iranian authorities are expecting between 12 and 20 million people to attend the various ceremonies. Public and private offices in Tehran have been ordered to close from Saturday through Monday, and most of the city centre will be shut to private vehicles. Tehran’s airspace was partially closed Friday and will be fully shut down on Monday.
On Tuesday, the ceremonies move to Qom, where a senior Shia cleric will lead funeral prayers at the Jamkaran mosque. Khamenei’s body will then travel to Najaf in Iraq on Wednesday, where processions are planned at the shrine of Imam Ali before continuing to Karbala. Iranian officials say the Iraq leg of the journey was requested by Iraqi groups, with analysts noting it reflects Khamenei’s deep ties across the Shia Muslim world.
The former Supreme Leader will finally be laid to rest on Thursday in Mashhad, the city where he was born, at the Imam Reza Shrine. Commemorative events are set to continue for 40 days, running through to the first anniversary of his burial.