Iranian authorities have yet to finalize a burial site for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, with officials citing security concerns surrounding a potential mass funeral, while one analyst argues the delay reflects deeper weakness within the regime.

Khamenei, 86, was killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike on Feb. 28 that triggered the current war with Iran. His body remains unburied, marking a significant departure from longstanding practices for leaders of his stature.

In contrast, the 1989 funeral of his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, drew millions into the streets of Tehran. However, similar scenes of mass mourning have not been seen in the weeks following Khamenei’s death, even as the country endured sustained airstrikes that eliminated many senior figures in the regime.

According to Behnam Taleblu of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Iran is currently unable to stage a large-scale state funeral amid the fragile ceasefire.

“Simply put, the regime is too afraid and too weak to roll the dice,” he said.

Taleblu pointed to multiple factors behind the delay, including fears of Israeli attacks, the possibility of anti-government demonstrations similar to earlier nationwide protests, and questions surrounding the absence of Mojtaba Khamenei—the slain leader’s son and newly appointed successor—who has not appeared publicly.

“It speaks volumes that the turnout for the funeral of the regime’s founding father in 1989 was such a massive affair, and yet one generation later his successor is still not able to have a funeral well over a month after his passing,” Taleblu continued.

“The Islamic Republic likes to talk a big game about owning the streets, but a 50-day internet blackout tells you all you need to know. The regime fears the consequences of the truth getting out.”

Iranian officials are now reportedly considering Mashhad, a city in the country’s northeast, as a possible burial location, according to state-affiliated outlets cited by The Australian.

Mashhad, located near the border with Turkmenistan and far from Israel, is Khamenei’s birthplace and carries both logistical and symbolic advantages.

With a population of around five million, the city is home to the shrine of Imam Reza, one of the most significant religious sites in Shi’ite Islam, which draws millions of pilgrims annually.

One proposal under consideration would place Khamenei’s grave near the shrine, an area already under heavy security that could offer protection for the burial site.

Initially, Iran had planned a three-day state funeral beginning March 4, but those arrangements were abandoned as the country came under extensive U.S. and Israeli bombardment, according to the state news agency IRNA.

Later, officials suggested the postponement was due to expectations of an “unprecedented turnout,” as reported by Gulf News citing Iranian media, but the ceremony has yet to be rescheduled.

No date has been announced for the burial.

A temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran, reached on April 8, is set to expire on Wednesday.0