Iran to hold three-day farewell ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Iran is set to conduct a three-day farewell ceremony for its former leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, beginning at 10 p.m. on Wednesday (1830 GMT) at the Imam Khomeini prayer ground in Tehran, according to state media. Details about the funeral procession will be shared once they are finalized. Khamenei, who led Iran for 36 years, passed away at the age of 86 during a series of US-Israeli attacks on Saturday. He hailed from Mashhad, Iran's second-largest city, where his father is laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine. Before the burial takes place, a significant farewell event will occur in Tehran, as stated by the Revolutionary Guards on their Telegram channel. Following Khamenei's death, a temporary three-member council has taken over until the Assembly of Experts can select a new leader. This council consists of the president, the head of the judiciary, and a jurist from the Guardian Council, which monitors legislation and assesses electoral candidates. Fars News Agency reported that, “for security reasons,” the assembly's final meeting might be delayed until after Khamenei is buried. Iranian media noted that the building where the 88-member assembly meets in Qom, a holy city south of Tehran, was struck by US-Israeli attacks on Tuesday.