Hezbollah called for participation in a Lebanese and international popular gathering coinciding with the funeral ceremony of former Iranian guide Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday evening **July 8, 2026** at **9:00** in Ashura Square in the southern suburb of Beirut.
The call came in a statement that the party began with a Qur’anic verse, announcing the organization of the gathering in conjunction with the funeral ceremonies being held in Iran, in memory of the late leader.
In parallel, the last farewell ceremony for Ali Khamenei began before noon on Friday in the Islamic Republic of Iran, at the beginning of a week of official and popular events that precede the burial ceremony.
The “Tehran Chapel” witnessed the arrival of official delegations from inside and outside Iran to say farewell and read the Fatiha. Among the participants was the delegation of the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council headed by Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, along with delegations from the “Amal” movement and “Hezbollah”, Islamic bodies and movements, and a number of Lebanese media professionals.
The farewell ceremony is scheduled to be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday, with the body being buried in the capital, Tehran, on Monday, before the ceremony moves to the city of Qom on Tuesday, then to Iraq, where ceremonies will be held in Kadhimiya, Karbala, and Najaf, with the burial in the city of Mashhad on Thursday, **July 9**.
Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib and the accompanying delegation arrived in Tehran via Baghdad, where they were received at Imam Khomeini Airport by the Lebanese Ambassador to Iran, Ahmed Suwaid, and officials from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, while they were received at Baghdad Airport by the Lebanese Ambassador to Iraq, Khalil Muhammad, and the Consul General, Ali Houmani, and meetings were held that dealt with Lebanese and Iraqi affairs.
In statements to Iranian media, Sheikh Al-Khatib praised Ali Khamenei’s role in leading Iran after Imam Khomeini, considering that his achievements enabled the Islamic Republic to confront the United States and Israel.
He also expressed his hope that Iran would continue its path under the leadership of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, wishing the Iranian people further progress and prosperity.
Ali Khamenei’s funeral ceremony receives wide political and popular attention inside and outside Iran, in light of the position he occupied for decades at the head of the Islamic Republic, and his direct influence on Iran’s internal and regional policies.
Official and popular delegations from a number of countries also participate in the farewell and funeral ceremonies, amid tight security measures, at a time when regional and international circles are following the leadership transition phase in Iran and its possible repercussions on the political and security files in the region.
