Iran Prepares Thousands of Graves Ahead of Khamenei's Funeral

Iranian authorities have reportedly prepared thousands of graves and drawn up emergency plans for the possibility of mass casualties as millions of people gather for the funeral ceremonies of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. According to a report by German newspaper Die Welt, officials are preparing for a worst-case scenario in which between 1,500 and 3,000 people could die during the days-long funeral processions because of the enormous crowds, extreme heat and other potential emergencies.

The report said Iranian officials have established a dedicated unit to handle possible deaths and cases of missing persons during the funeral ceremonies. Thousands of fresh graves have also reportedly been prepared at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in Tehran as part of the emergency arrangements. The preparations come as authorities expect huge numbers of mourners to participate in ceremonies being held across several cities in Iran and Iraq before Khamenei’s burial later this week.

A Tehran municipality employee, whose identity was withheld because of security concerns, reportedly confirmed that the prepared graves existed. The employee claimed officials had been told to prepare for the possibility of as many as 3,000 deaths during the funeral period. Concerns are particularly high because of the combination of massive crowds and extreme heat, which could increase the risk of medical emergencies, crowd-related incidents and other dangerous situations.

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Khamenei’s funeral ceremonies began in Tehran on Saturday, with large numbers of mourners gathering to pay their respects to the late Iranian leader. The funeral procession is expected to continue through the holy city of Qom before moving to the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala. The ceremonies are scheduled to conclude in Mashhad on Thursday, where Khamenei is expected to be buried after several days of public mourning and religious observances.

The reported preparations reflect concerns about managing one of the largest public gatherings in the region, with millions of mourners expected to participate at different stages of the funeral. Large processions can create serious risks when people are packed into limited spaces, particularly during periods of intense heat. Authorities are therefore reportedly preparing emergency arrangements to respond to possible fatalities, missing persons and other incidents that could arise during the ceremonies.

While Iran has projected an atmosphere of calm and organisation around the funeral proceedings, the reported preparation of thousands of graves highlights the scale of the risks authorities are considering behind the scenes. The estimate of between 1,500 and 3,000 possible deaths remains part of reported emergency planning rather than a confirmed casualty figure. With the funeral processions continuing for several days and attracting enormous crowds across multiple cities, officials are expected to remain on high alert until the ceremonies conclude with Khamenei’s burial in Mashhad on Thursday.

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