Authorities in Iran have postponed the funeral ceremony for the late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following intense strikes by United States and Israel across the country.
The three-day event, originally scheduled to begin Wednesday night at the Grand Mosalla prayer complex in Tehran, was delayed to allow authorities to prepare infrastructure for large crowds. Seyyed Mohsen Mahmoudi, head of the Islamic Propaganda Co-ordination Council of Tehran province, cited “the high volume of requests to attend this ceremony” as the reason for postponement.
Khamenei, 86, who had been Iran’s spiritual and political leader since 1989, was killed at his compound on Saturday in the first wave of US and Israeli strikes, alongside his wife, one of their adult sons, and several top officials.
Following his death, the Assembly of Experts, responsible for selecting Iran’s new supreme leader, is reportedly close to naming a successor. Sources indicate Mojtaba Khamenei, one of Khamenei’s sons and a conservative figure with strong ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is a leading candidate.
Meanwhile, Iran has retaliated by launching missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf states hosting US military bases. Kuwait’s health ministry reported that an 11-year-old girl died after shrapnel struck a residential area during an Iranian attack. Saudi Arabia intercepted an attempted drone strike targeting its Ras Tanura oil refinery, while Turkey reported intercepting an Iranian missile approaching its airspace.
On the military front, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth said a US submarine sank an Iranian navy frigate, the Iris Dena, in the Indian Ocean off Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan authorities confirmed the recovery of 80 bodies, with another 32 survivors and dozens still missing. Hegseth stated that US and Israeli forces would soon achieve total aerial superiority over Iran.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported multiple strikes across Iran on Wednesday, targeting military compounds, missile arrays, air defence systems, and Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport. An IDF F-35 fighter jet reportedly shot down an Iranian Yak-130, marking the first such engagement involving the aircraft.
Iranian state media reported 1,045 military and civilian deaths, while independent groups, including the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRNA), estimated 1,097 civilian casualties, including 181 children under 10.
In Tehran, crowds of Khamenei supporters protested against US and Israeli actions, while some Iranians were seen celebrating in opposition to the regime. Authorities warn that the ongoing conflict could escalate further as regional tensions rise.
The future leadership of Iran remains uncertain, with the Assembly of Experts reviewing candidates. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, a member of the body, stated: “The supreme leader will be identified at the closest opportunity. However, the situation in the country is a war situation.”
