Uzbekistan delegation to attend Khamenei’s funeral

An Uzbek delegation will attend farewell ceremonies for Ali Khamenei. The Dunyo news agency reported this.

It was noted that large-scale mourning ceremonies lasting six days will be held in Iran and Iraq to bid farewell to the country’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran’s Deputy Interior Minister and head of the headquarters for organizing the mourning events, Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian, said at a press conference in Tehran that representatives from more than 30 countries and religious leaders from over 90 countries had expressed readiness to attend the farewell ceremonies.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei also confirmed that events would be held in connection with the Supreme Leader’s death and that officials from regional countries and other states were ready to take part in them.

According to a source at Uzbekistan’s Foreign Ministry, on July 3, a delegation of Uzbekistan led by Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis Nurdinjon Ismoilov will travel to Iran and participate in the ceremonies.

The mourning events will begin on July 4 at the Mosalla complex in Tehran. From that time, the venue will be open for public farewell. The following day, on July 5, funeral prayers will be performed there. A public mourning procession is also planned in the capital.

Ceremonies will also be held in other cities of the country, including Qom and Mashhad. Separate events are expected to take place in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala, which are considered sacred in Shia Islam. The final burial ceremony for the Supreme Leader is scheduled to take place in Mashhad on July 9.

According to Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian, as part of the preparations, a unified national headquarters was established to coordinate events inside and outside Iran. Iraq has also set up its own coordination center to hold the mourning ceremonies and receive the body.

It was noted that the total number of participants in the mourning events could reach millions. Speaking at the press conference, Esmail Baghaei described the ceremonies as the “most important and historic event” in the coming days for Iran, the West Asian region and beyond.

The official farewell ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is being held nearly four months after his death on February 28 as a result of the initial U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

The four-month delay is directly linked to the ongoing conflict in the region, attempts to reach a ceasefire and the subsequent negotiation process. As a result of these talks, an agreement was reached with the United States to halt the strikes.

The Iranian side stated that the ceremony had been scheduled for a period of relative de-escalation: while negotiations on a memorandum of understanding continue with the participation of mediators, Iran and the United States will temporarily stop exchanging fire.

At the press conference, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson warned that “the United States’ failure to comply with its obligations will undoubtedly have a negative impact on the continuation of the process.” He also emphasized: “We will not leave any action unanswered. Any action against Iran will receive a firm and immediate response.”

It is worth noting that Speaker of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis Nurdinjon Ismoilov previously visited the Iranian Embassy in Tashkent and signed the book of condolences opened in connection with the death of the late Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.