125 Days Later: How Was Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's Body Preserved Before His Funeral?

Four months after the death of Iran's previous Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, funeral services are only now starting in his honor. Khamenei, who was killed in an airstrike that was blamed on the US and Israel on February 28, will be buried after 125 days, as funeral services start in Iran and Iraq and proceed to the latter's burial in Mashhad on July 9.

The delayed funeral has brought up two questions: why was the funeral delayed and how was the body kept alive throughout this period?

Why was the Funeral Delayed?

The main cause of the delay was due to the fragile state of security after the death of Khamenei.

As per the reports, Iran kept on postponing the date of the funeral because of the ongoing war with the US and Israel. There were fears that organizing such a public event in the midst of war could create a lot of security threats.

In addition, the delay enabled the authorities to organize themselves and prepare for the largest public event that might occur in Iran. Millions of people are expected to turn up for the mourning ceremony.

This event was organized after the recent temporary peace treaty between Iran and the US was signed last month.

In an unannounced event, the coffin carrying the body of the martyred leader Ayatollah Khamenei was brought to the site of his martyrdom.#Revenge pic.twitter.com/ejWhaZ2Y1m

— IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) (@iribnews_irib) July 2, 2026

How Was Khamenei's Body Preserved?

Iran has not revealed the official location in which the body of Khamenei remained in for 125 days.

Iman Attarzadeh, spokesman of the Special Headquarters for the funeral and burial of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, however, disclosed that his body was preserved with "utmost respect and dignity" following Islamic rules.

Attarzadeh, who declined to give further details on the preservation process or place used for the purpose, added that Khamenei's body was neither buried nor put anywhere public.

A delegation of Indian religious leaders paid tribute to the martyred Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. pic.twitter.com/Ji1i3vNkGm

— Iran in India (@Iran_in_India) July 3, 2026

Experts Believe Cold Storage Was Used

While there have been no confirmations from Iranian authorities on how his remains were preserved, experts say the body of Khamenei was probably kept in refrigeration cold storage.

According to Fox News Digital, counterterrorism expert Dr Omar Mohammed says that while chemical embalming is frowned upon in Islamic tradition,
it is the most probable way the remains of Khamenei were preserved for burial later on.
As per experts, delayed burials are allowed in Shia Islamic law in special cases.

🇮🇷 Ali Khameneis body has arrived at the Grand Mosalla mosque in Tehran, opening what is expected to be the largest funeral in Irans history.

The former supreme leader, who led Iran for more than 36 years, will now be honored across days of processions in Iran and Iraq before…

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 3, 2026

Does Islam Allow Such Delays?

Generally, Islam calls for quick burial after death.

But, some religious experts observe that there can be exemptions in cases like war, natural calamity, or other similar cases where immediate burial may not be possible.
It is assumed by experts that since Khamenei was the Supreme Leader of Iran and it was involved in a state of war at that time, a religious exemption could have been granted in this case.

Funeral Begins in Tehran

The funeral proceedings commenced this week in Tehran, where the coffin of Khamenei was laid in the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla for people to view.
People had turned up in large numbers to bid farewell to Khamenei by praying for him and throwing flowers on his coffin.

It is reported that the coffins of some of the members of the family of Khamenei, who were also killed in the strike, were laid beside him.

Family Members Also Killed

It is reported that some members of the family of Khamenei were also killed in the strikes of February 28. These include his daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and his granddaughter.

Their coffins were also laid beside that of Khamenei in the funeral ceremony in Tehran.

New Supreme Leader Misses Public Ceremony

It is worth noting that one absentee at the burial ceremony was Mojtaba Khamenei, who is said to have succeeded his father as Iran's Supreme Leader.

As per some reports, he has not been seen in any public gathering since the beginning of the crisis. There have been speculations that he might have been injured during the air strikes, but Iranian authorities have not commented officially on the matter.

Burial To Take Place In Mashhad

After the ceremonies held in Tehran and elsewhere, the deceased Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be laid to rest in Mashhad on July 9.

This burial will be the culmination of 125 days after which Iran decided to bury its leader due to the security concerns and the crisis raging in the region.
Though not all the details of preservation of Khamenei's body have been shared, it can be surmised that his body had been stored in a cold storage facility.