Tehran is making extensive preparations for the July 9 burial of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which will take place over four months after his passing. Ahead of what is expected to be an event of significant national attendance, Iranian authorities are activating the Basij militia and deploying a vast security apparatus.
The considerable delay in holding the funeral has prompted questions regarding the preservation methods for Khamenei's remains. According to analysts, Islamic tradition typically mandates a prompt burial and generally advises against chemical embalming.
Shia law allows delayed burial and preservation by cold in exceptional cases, and a clerical exemption for a Supreme Leader is easy to get.
An expert from the George Washington Program on Extremism noted that Iranian forensic morgues routinely hold bodies for extended periods, making four months of freezing a non-unusual practice. This falls within
