From 3 to 9 July 2026, mourning ceremonies dedicated to bidding farewell to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Imam Sayyid Ali Khamenei, were held in Iran and Iraq.
With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and at the invitation of the Office of the Supreme Leader, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church took part in the ceremonies: His Grace Bishop Savvatios of Bishkek and Kyrgyzstan, and Hieromonk Grigory (Matrosov), Head of the Council of Experts on Cooperation with the Islamic World of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate.
On 3 July, a mourning ceremony was held in Tehran, attended by political and religious figures from various countries. On the same day, a luncheon meeting was organized for representatives of different religious traditions at the initiative of Hojjat al-Islam Mohammad Mehdi Imanipour, President of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran. During the event, Bishop Savvatios and Hojjat al-Islam Mehdi Imanipour exchanged welcoming remarks.
The following day, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church participated in an international conference dedicated to Imam Ali Khamenei, which brought together guests from 45 countries, including Lebanon, Palestine, Pakistan, Yemen, Turkey, Iraq, and other nations. During the session, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered an address.
On 5 July, as part of the interfaith delegation, representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate visited the Saint Sarkis Cathedral, the cathedral church of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Tehran. A meeting was held between the visitors and the cathedral’s clergy, members of the Iranian Parliament, and representatives of the Armenian community of the Iranian capital.
On 6 July, Bishop Savvatios and Hieromonk Grigory took part in the public farewell ceremony for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Representatives of Russia’s Muslim communities also attended the mourning ceremonies: Mufti Kamil Samigullin, Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Republic of Tatarstan; Ilfar Khasanov, Imam of the Qol Sharif Mosque in Kazan; Ruslan Abiasov, Deputy Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation and Mufti of the Moscow Region; Mufti Bata Kifakh Mohammad, Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Volgograd Region; and Mufti Muhammad Rakhimov, Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Stavropol Region.
