Iran prepares funeral for late Ayatollah Hameyni amid US‑Iran cease‑fire talks

Ayatollah Ali Hameyni, Iran's top leader killed on Feb. 28 during a U.S.‑Israel airstrike, will receive a series of funeral rites in early May. The state‑run IRNA announced ceremonies on May 4‑5 at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mosque, with funeral processions in Tehran on May 6, in the holy city of Qom on May 7, and the final burial on May 9 at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.

The scheduling coincides with expectations of a U.S.–Iran cease‑fire memorandum of understanding (MOU). Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the agreement could be finalized within 24 hours, and former U.S. President Donald Trump posted that the deal would be signed on April 14 and that the Strait of Hormuz would be opened to all traffic. Iran’s foreign ministry said the exact signing date remains to be seen, but the prospect of the MOU has prompted the funeral arrangements after a three‑month delay.

Trump also warned that if the agreement does not proceed, the United States retains “the ultimate alternative,” implying possible military options.