Funeral schedule announced for Ayatollah Khamenei; Ghalibaf pays tribute to "martyrs" and children

Iranian authorities have announced the schedule for the farewell, procession and burial ceremonies of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while Iran's top negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf marked the anniversary of last year's 12-day war by mourning those killed in the conflict and vowing to continue resisting pressure from the United States and Israel.

According to Iran's Fars News Agency, farewell ceremonies for the late Khamenei will be held on July 4 and 5 at the Imam Khomeini Prayer Grounds in Tehran. A procession ceremony is scheduled in Tehran on July 6, followed by ceremonies in the holy city of Qom on July 7 and in Mashhad on July 9. He will be buried at the holy shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad. Marking one year since the start of the conflict, Iran's top negotiator and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf accused the United States and Israel of targeting civilians and children during the war. In a post on X, he said, "One year has passed since the start of the first round of criminal attacks by the Israeli and American regimes on our eternal home, Iran."

He added, "They murdered innocent children and refrained from no crime or cruelty." Ghalibaf said that the country stands firm "until the end of the glory" and "ultimate victory". He further said, "Inspired by the heroic and oppressed martyrs of the 12-Day War, we stand firm until the end for the glory and ultimate victory of our dear Iran."