Local and foreign officials walk past the coffins of slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his family members after paying their respects at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran on Friday, 3 July 2026. (Credit: Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
The funeral ceremonies for the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated on 28 Feb. 2026 at the outset of the Israeli-American war against Iran, begin this Saturday, 4 July, in Tehran and will continue until 9 July. While Hezbollah has called for a memorial gathering next Wednesday in Beirut's southern suburbs to pay tribute to the late leader, some Lebanese have chosen to travel to Iran to attend the ceremonies in person.
“Missing the funeral is not an option,” says Aya Husseini, a kindergarten teacher at a Hezbollah-affiliated school in Beirut’s southern suburbs. “With my $600 salary, I was able to buy a ticket for $450. I will stay in Mashhad with a family I met on a previous trip,” she says. Her 19-year-old son Hassan will accompany her.
“I am going to say goodbye to the man who said no to the United States and Israel, and paid for it with his life. He supported Lebanon and Palestine despite the sanctions, bombings and smear campaigns. The least I can do is pay tribute to him,” she adds. Her 16-year-old daughter Jana will remain in Lebanon: “I’m afraid of possible strikes during the funeral.”
Ayman, who requested to be identified by first name only, said he took a loan from a relative to fund his journey via Iraq for ziyarah (pilgrimage) before continuing to Mashhad. “It’s a historic moment, I have to be there for it,” he said. “This man stood shoulder to shoulder with the Sayyed [Hassan Nasrallah], and the Sayyed put his trust in him, so we should offer our condolences.”
The Iranian embassy in Beirut said it does not have an official count of Lebanese attendees, noting that visas are not required. A source at Beirut International Airport also said no figures are available due to the absence of direct flights which have been suspended since February 2025. The measure followed Israeli military accusations that Tehran was using civilian aircraft to smuggle cash to Hezbollah, and warnings that it could target or potentially shoot down Iranian planes landing at Rafik Hariri International Airport.
Organized trips cost around $1000 from Beirut to Iran
At al-Ajouz Travel and Tourism, an agency operating in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a staff member told L’Orient Today that bookings to Iran have increased since the announcement of the funeral dates. “Because there are no direct flights between Lebanon and Iran, we are booking flights with a layover in Iraq, and then onward to Mashhad, Qom, or Tehran,” the agent said. “People do not seem worried, and few have asked about refund policies in case of escalation. They seem adamant about going.”
The staff member explained that trips can cost between $450 for people only buying the plane ticket, then staying at mosques or Husseiniyahs (shiites community centers), which will be opened free of charge for mourners to stay at, and over $2,000 for those opting for five-star accommodation in Iran, with first class flight tickets.
At Khalil Tours, based in Chiyah and specialized in religious tours, an employee said the agency has organized a package costing $1,000 and explained that this is the average that all religious tours groups in Lebanon are charging. It includes a flight to Najaf, where pilgrims stay for two days before continuing to Iran and attending the funeral processions as a group. Payment plans are available, and some regular clients may pay for the trip after they return. When asked about safety, the employee said, “We are in the same boat as the millions of people attending.” Iran has estimated that around 20 million people from 100 countries will attend the funeral.
'We will mourn him, then we will come back and continue our fight against Israel'
For Ali, a member of the civil defense with the Islamic Health Authority affiliated with Hezbollah, attending is an act of political loyalty. “It is a show of loyalty to the Islamic Republic of Iran, which supported the Shiites when the state turned its back on us and left us under Israeli occupation, without schools or proper livelihoods.” He added: “On Thursday, we will mourn him, then we will come back and continue our fight against Israel,” while Israeli forces continue to occupy parts of southern Lebanon despite the cease-fire with Hezbollah that has been in effect since June 20.
Some Lebanese with dual citizenship living abroad have also arrived in Lebanon in the past week and are planning to head to Iran from Beirut. Abbas Bazzi and his brother Hadi, both law students in the United Kingdom, said they were concerned about potential problems or detention if traveling directly from London during the funeral period. “We flew on our British passports to Lebanon, and will head on Saturday to Najaf then to Mashhad on our Lebanese passports, God willing,” Hadi told L’Orient Today. He explained that several of his Lebanese, Iraqi, and Pakistani friends in the UK have done the same, flying to their respective home countries before continuing onward to Iran.
