Hyderabad, July 2 -- As Iran prepares for the grand state funeral ceremonies of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Hussaini Khamenei beginning July 4, the Islamic Republic mourns one of its most defining figures. Khamenei, the Supreme Leader for nearly 37 years, was martyred and assassinated on February 28 in a joint US-Israeli airstrike on Tehran that also claimed the lives of several family members, including his 14-month-old granddaughter and senior officials.

His burial is scheduled for July 9 in his hometown of Mashhad at the shrine of Imam Reza (PBUH), following processions in Tehran, Qom and other cities in Iraq.

Born in 1939 in Mashhad into a religious family, Khamenei rose through the ranks of the Shia clergy and played a pivotal role in the...