When is Death of Imam Khomeini?
In 2026, Death of Imam Khomeini falls on Thursday, June 4, 2026. It is classified here as a Iranian public holiday.
History of Death of Imam Khomeini
Khordad 14 commemorates the death in 1989 of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the Iranian Revolution and first Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic. His death prompted one of the largest funerals in modern history and the date remains a central anniversary in the official calendar.
Commemorations often focus on Khomeini’s political and religious legacy, with ceremonies at his mausoleum near Tehran as well as media programming and institutional events elsewhere. The anniversary is public holiday rather than a neutral historical memorial, so visitors should expect official messaging and possible transport or security changes near major sites.
Khomeini’s legacy remains politically consequential and contested: official ceremonies honour the founder of the Islamic Republic, while historical assessment also addresses revolutionary consolidation, war leadership, state repression and changes in law and society. Describing the anniversary as a public holiday records its legal status without requiring agreement with its official narrative. It falls on Khordad 14, June 4 in 2026, when Eid al-Ghadir also occurs; one date can therefore carry both a mourning anniversary and a religious festival.
How Death of Imam Khomeini is observed
A nationwide public holiday on Khordad 14. Memorial events can affect access around Tehran’s Khomeini mausoleum and other official sites.
Traditions of Death of Imam Khomeini
Household plans
Iranian households may use the death anniversary of Imam Khomeini for an unhurried meal, visits and calls, although participation in official programmes varies.
Public programmes
State institutions and municipalities mark the death anniversary of Imam Khomeini through ceremonies, documentary broadcasts, exhibitions, speeches or cultural programmes shaped by the occasion’s history.
Local arrangements
During the death anniversary of Imam Khomeini, government offices covered by the closure stop routine service while transport, shops, museums and restaurants publish their own operating hours.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Iranian official and legal guidance. Solar Hijri and lunar dates, plus annual public-service schedules, should be confirmed against official notices.
History sources: Iran: Law determining official public holidays, JICA Iran Office: 2026 holiday calendar, JETRO: Iran public holidays in 2026, ILO NATLEX: Labour Law of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iranian calendar 1405: official occasions and closures.
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