ABUJA, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-Iran has postponed the state funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, citing the expectation of an “unprecedented turnout,” according to state television on Wednesday.
Khamenei, 86, was reportedly killed over the weekend during joint US-Israeli strikes targeting key military and government facilities in Tehran, in what has been described as a significant escalation of regional tensions.
Earlier, Iranian officials had announced that a tribute ceremony would be held in the capital before his remains would be taken to the holy city of Mashhad, his birthplace, for burial.
However, authorities later confirmed that the ceremony had been rescheduled, citing the vast number of mourners expected.
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Mohsen Mahmoudi, head of Tehran’s Islamic Development Coordination Council, the body coordinating the funeral, explained that the delay was due to “the expected participation of millions of people and the need to provide the proper infrastructure” to manage the crowd.
Tehran has been under sustained missile fire, with reported strikes on key military and government sites since Saturday, February 28, 2026.
Although officials have not explicitly linked the postponement of the funeral to the ongoing security situation, the capital remains on high alert amid continued attacks.