The ceremonies mark the final phase of national mourning for Khamenei, who was killed in Israeli and US strikes in February, according to Iranian state media reports.

The funeral proceedings are expected to start in Tehran before moving through additional stages of national observance ahead of burial at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam.

Khamenei led the Islamic Republic for more than three decades, having assumed power in 1989 following the death of Iran’s founding Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. His death has triggered a prolonged transition period within Iran’s political and religious leadership structure.

State media did not provide additional details on security arrangements for the ceremonies, which come amid heightened regional tensions following months of conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

The announcement follows earlier postponements of funeral arrangements amid security concerns and ongoing instability in the region.

Raja Liaquat Ali Khan, a resident of Keran village in Kupwara district, died of a heart attack on April 26. During his funeral, his brothers and sisters, who have lived across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir since 1989, watched from the opposite bank of the 300-foot-wide river, unable to cross and attend in person.

The crossing route, once a short ten-minute walk connecting the two sides, was closed by the Indian government in 2019 after cross-LoC trade and bus services were suspended over security concerns, including allegations of weapons smuggling, narcotics trafficking and fake currency circulation.

A video showing Khan’s siblings waving to the coffin and joining funeral prayers from across the river spread widely on social media, prompting emotional reactions and renewed demands for humanitarian access for divided families.

Ravinder Pandita, president of the All-India Kashmiri Samaj, said many families separated during the militancy of 1989-90 had relied on permit-based crossings introduced during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure to maintain family ties.

He said those arrangements had remained suspended since 2019 following the Balakot strikes.Local political leaders and residents described the incident as a reminder of the human cost of the Kashmir divide, with many urging authorities to reconsider restrictions for family reunions and funerals.