On Wednesday (April 8, 2026), Iran ended the 40-day mourning period for Ali Khamenei, on February 28, 2026, when the United States and Israel began offensives against the Persian country. The flags of Iranian embassies, which remained at half-mast during this interval, were raised again at full capacity. The end of the mourning was marked by ceremonies and mobilizations in the streets, with the participation of authorities and government supporters.
According to Iran’s ambassador to Brazil, Abdollah Nekounam Ghadirli, the gesture marks the formal end of mourning, but does not change the symbolic meaning of the period. “In honor of the martyred leader, the flags of Iran’s embassies were at half-mast for 40 days. Today, they were raised again. The Iranian people never let their flag lower”declared in no X.
The end of the mourning was marked by ceremonies in Iran, including an event on Wednesday night (April 8), in the city of Qom. The event that marked the 40th day of Khamenei’s death brought together local authorities, members of the Judiciary, security forces and government representatives, according to a statement from the state agency.
The invitation to the ceremony was announced by the provincial authorities, who called on the participation of the population and members of different sectors of the State. The memorial was held at the shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh, one of the country’s main religious centers. The message included a reaffirmation of loyalty to Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, son of his predecessor.
During the event, participants expressed support for the Iranian government and its position in the ceasefire negotiations, according to . There were also references to figures in the security apparatus, such as Majid Khademi, head of intelligence for the IRGC, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which had its headquarters on Monday (April 6).
In a speech, cleric Hossein Aghamiri stated that the population will maintain mobilization in the streets. “Either the United States peacefully accepts our 10 preconditions or we will force them to accept”he declared.
Ali Khamenei’s death was confirmed by Iranian state media after an airstrike on his residence and office in Tehran on the first day of the military offensive that began on February 28.
Since then, Iran has undergone a leadership transition, with the selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as the new supreme leader. The country remains in a state of tension, with the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic area for global oil transport.
On Tuesday (Apr 7), the President of the USA, (Republican Party), called a temporary truce conditional on the complete, immediate and safe opening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif (PML-N, right) said that infractions “were reported in some parts of the conflict zone” and that this “undermines the spirit of the peace process”.
The Iranian government decided to suspend crossing the strait on Wednesday (April 8), less than 24 hours after the ceasefire came into force.
