An Iranian military official issued a direct warning on Thursday to the United States and Israel, urging them to avoid any attack while Iran prepares state funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei was killed in airstrikes on the first day of the war, and authorities have outlined a series of processions and ceremonies to mark his death.
Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, made the warning in a statement carried by state media. He said: "We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the U.S. and the Zionist regime (Israel), to avoid any miscalculation and to think about the harsh retaliation our armed forces would make to any threat and aggression against our country."
Iranian state officials have scheduled a sequence of public events tied to the funeral. Funeral processions will begin on July 4 in Tehran and are set to conclude with the burial on July 9 in the Supreme Leader's hometown of Mashhad. Additional ceremonies are planned in Qom and in Iraq during the intervening days.
On Wednesday, Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araqchi, issued a similar caution, saying Tehran would respond immediately and forcefully to any threat against its people or leadership. That statement followed comments from Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz that Iran's current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was "marked for death," remarks that prompted the Iranian warnings.
State media also reported that security measures have been heightened for the funeral period. The head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation said on Wednesday that temporary airspace restrictions would be imposed over several cities, including Tehran and Mashhad, during the ceremonies.
The warnings from senior Iranian officials and the announced security steps signal a tightly managed period of national mourning and high alert, with authorities publicly linking potential foreign action to promises of retaliation. Details released by Iranian officials describe a multi-city sequence of events, controlled access and specific temporary measures affecting civilian aviation in the named cities.
Timeline of announced events
- July 4 - Funeral processions begin in Tehran.
- July 4 to July 9 - Additional ceremonies planned in Qom and Iraq.
- July 9 - Burial scheduled in Mashhad.