The late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28 in a joint US-Israeli raid. Due to the ongoing war situation in Iran, his funeral could not be held immediately. After 125 days, his body has now been placed for public veneration before final rites. Preserving his body for such a long time has sparked global curiosity about the techniques used to keep his body intact for more than four months.

According to reports, Iranian medical and scientific teams relied on a combination of modern and traditional embalming techniques to preserve Khamenei’s body. The preservation process began with the body’s natural circulation of blood and other bodily fluids being completely drained. This essential step helps slow the decomposition process and prepares the body for the introduction of specialized preservative chemicals that protect tissues from decomposition over time.

After body fluids are removed, a specially prepared chemical mixture containing formaldehyde, glycerin, alcohol and other antiseptics is injected through the arteries. These chemicals help prevent tissue decay while maintaining the body’s normal structure and appearance. After the embalming procedure, Khamenei’s body was transferred to a secure underground military medical facility in Tehran, where it continued to be preserved under tightly controlled conditions.

The preserved body was reportedly stored in a specialized refrigerated vault, where temperatures were maintained between 0°C and 2°C. This controlled environment protects the body from moisture, bacteria, and other external factors that speed up the decomposition process. As the body had been in storage for more than four months, Iranian medical experts reportedly conducted weekly inspections to monitor the condition and overall preservation of the skin.

To maintain the body’s appearance, experts are said to have used special waxes and lotions containing silicone to keep the skin hydrated and reduce dryness, shrinkage and discolouration. Regular maintenance ensured that the object remained visually intact throughout the 125-day preservation period. These procedures are an important part of long-term embalming when a body must be displayed after a long period.

Mummification has been used long term for many notable historical leaders. The body of Vladimir Lenin, who died in 1924, has been preserved for 102 years. Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese revolutionary leader, has been preserved for 57 years, while Kim Il Sung, the founding leader of North Korea, has been preserved for 32 years since his death in 1994. These remain among the most famous examples of modern taxidermy in the world.

Iran also has its own history of maintaining prominent figures. Reza Shah Pahlavi, the country’s previous monarch, died in 1944. His body was embalmed in Egypt using mummification techniques and preserved for six years before it was eventually buried in Iran. The preservation of the body of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has once again drawn attention to the combination of science, medicine and historical embalming practices used during exceptional circumstances.