Iran is preparing for days of nationwide funeral ceremonies for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, turning the burial of the country's longtime supreme leader into what officials hope will be the largest public display of loyalty to the Islamic Republic in decades.

Khamenei was killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes during the opening phase of the war, ending nearly four decades of his rule.

His death, followed by the appointment of his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as Iran's third supreme leader, marks one of the most consequential turning points since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Beginning this weekend, authorities will stage an elaborate series of ceremonies across Iran, with major funeral processions planned in Tehran, Qom and Mashhad before concluding with religious events in Iraq's Shiite holy cities.

For Iran's leadership, the funerals are about more than honoring a slain leader. They are intended to demonstrate that the Islamic Republic remains united after surviving what officials describe as an existential war and to signal both domestic strength and defiance toward its enemies.

"The large public turnout at the funeral procession of the martyred leader and the other martyrs will, in effect, be another referendum for the Islamic Republic," Ayatollah Mohammad Saidi, the Friday prayer leader in Qom, told state media.

Carefully orchestrated

Authorities are leaving little to chance.

State institutions are working to mobilize millions of mourners by offering discounted hotels, free transportation and temporary accommodations in schools, mosques and sports halls. Bus and rail services are being redirected to funeral sites as officials prepare for what they hope will be overwhelming crowds.

The government views the ceremonies as an opportunity to reinforce the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic after a devastating conflict that claimed the lives of several senior figures.

Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father despite reportedly suffering serious injuries in the strike, has not appeared publicly since the war began, adding further intrigue to Iran's leadership transition.

Across Tehran, workers have erected new posters featuring the late Khamenei alongside images of Mojtaba and raised revolutionary fists, while black mourning banners hang from buildings throughout the capital.

Public grief masks deeper divisions

Despite the government's preparations, analysts say the highly choreographed ceremonies may not reflect the mood of much of Iranian society.

Years of economic hardship driven by international sanctions, combined with political repression and widespread dissatisfaction with clerical rule, have eroded public confidence in the Islamic Republic.

Recent anti-government protests fueled by soaring inflation featured chants calling for Khamenei's death before security forces violently crushed the demonstrations, reportedly killing thousands of protesters.

When reports first emerged that Khamenei had been killed, some residents in Tehran said cheers could be heard from homes and apartment buildings in parts of the city.

Today, however, the capital remains tense and heavily secured.

"It is like life has stopped and there are Basijis everywhere," said Samira, 35, whose husband owns a restaurant in Tehran. She said her family plans to leave the city rather than attend any funeral events.

Martyrdom at the center of the message

For Iran's ruling establishment, Khamenei's death carries profound religious symbolism.

As supreme leader, he served not only as Iran's highest political authority but also as the representative of Shiite Islam's hidden 12th Imam on Earth.

His death in an attack by foreign enemies fits squarely into Shiite traditions that honor martyrdom through mourning rituals, public processions and religious remembrance, themes the government has emphasized since the strikes.

Official ceremonies have repeatedly drawn parallels between Khamenei's death and the martyrdom of Imam Hossein, one of Shiite Islam's most revered figures.

For many loyalists, the comparison resonates deeply.

"These are the hardest days of my life," said Mohsen, a 24-year-old member of the Basij paramilitary forces in Tehran.

"I do not remember the time when Imam Khomeini passed away, but my father says the entire country was engulfed in grief and mourning. Today, too, people are in mourning, especially because our leader was martyred."

A week of ceremonies across Iran and Iraq

Foreign dignitaries, including officials from Russia and China, are expected to attend memorial events before the national funeral begins.

On Saturday, Khamenei's remains will be taken to a mosque in Tehran, accompanied by the bodies of his daughter, son-in-law, granddaughter and the wife of Mojtaba Khamenei, all of whom were killed in the same strike.

A massive procession is scheduled through central Tehran on Monday before the funeral moves to Qom, the heart of Iran's Shiite religious establishment, for ceremonies on Tuesday.

The following day, memorial events will take place in the Iraqi shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala, where members of Iran's regional network of allied Shiite groups are expected to gather.

The funeral week will conclude on Thursday in Mashhad, where Khamenei will be buried near the shrine of Imam Reza, one of Shiite Islam's holiest sites.

Authorities have imposed temporary airspace restrictions over Tehran and other cities while warning of a forceful response should the United States or Israel launch additional strikes during the ceremonies.

Standing beneath a large portrait of Khamenei in Tehran, Iran-Iraq War veteran Hossein Kheiri said the funerals are meant to send a message beyond Iran's borders.

"We are showing our power to America and others in our own way," he said.