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.

The ceremonies, held Monday evening in several major squares across the Iranian capital, featured couples who had signed up for a so-called “self-sacrifice” initiative pledging readiness to support the country during wartime, according to Iranian state media.

More than 100 couples participated in one ceremony alone at Imam Hossein Square in central Tehran, Iranian media reported. Footage broadcast by state television showed newlyweds arriving in military jeeps equipped with mounted machine guns before taking part in marriage ceremonies led by clerics.

The events come amid heightened regional tensions following months of conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel, despite a fragile ceasefire announced in April.

Iranian authorities have promoted the “self-sacrifice” campaign, known in Persian as “janfada,” as a patriotic initiative encouraging civilians to demonstrate support for the state during wartime. State media said millions of Iranians, including senior political figures, had registered for the program.

Among those publicly associated with the initiative are Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.

Images from the ceremony showed stages decorated with balloons and large portraits of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who assumed the position after the death of his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, during the opening phase of the conflict earlier this year.

Participants interviewed by Iranian media described the ceremonies as both patriotic and religious occasions. One bride said young Iranians still had the right to marry despite wartime conditions, while another participant said the event coincided with the anniversary of the marriage of Imam Ali and Fatima, revered figures in Shia Islam.

Since the outbreak of the conflict in February, Iranian authorities have organized frequent public rallies and state-sponsored gatherings aimed at projecting national unity and public mobilization during the crisis.