Ali Khameni’s body likely in ‘cold storage’ as Iran prepares historic funeral for Supreme Leader killed in Operation Epic Fury
By Emma Bussey, Fox News
Published July 1, 2026, 10:19 p.m. ET
Tehran is preparing for the July 9 burial of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, more than four months after his death, as authorities mobilize the Basij militia and mount a massive security operation ahead of what is expected to be a “historic” turnout.
The lengthy delay to the funeral has raised questions about how Khamenei’s remains have been preserved, as Islamic tradition, analysts say, generally calls for prompt burial and discourages chemical embalming.
“The mechanism is almost certainly refrigerated cold storage, not embalming, as Islam bars chemical embalming,” counterterrorism expert Dr. Mohammed Omar told Fox News Digital.
“Shia law allows delayed burial and preservation by cold in exceptional cases, and a clerical exemption for a Supreme Leader is easy to get,” he added.
“Iran’s forensic morgues already hold bodies for months, so four months in freezing is not exotic. That is what ‘religious and legal standards’ cover,” Mohammed said.
Operation Epic Fury began on Feb. 28 with a targeted U.S. strike that killed Khamenei at his compound in Tehran. He had ruled the Islamic Republic for 36 years.
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https://nypost.com/2026/07/01/world-news/ali-khamenis-body-likely-in-cold-storage-as-iran-prepares-historic-funeral-for-supreme-leader/