Ahmad Tavakoli: Final Resting Place of a Principled Politician
Burial at the Tomb of Imams Ain Ali and Zein Ali Poonak
On Wednesday, August 2, 2025, Iran bade farewell to one of its most enduring conservative voices, Ahmad Tavakoli—a politician, academic, journalist, and former lawmaker who passed away at the age of 74 due to a heart attack. Tavakoli, who had been hospitalized in an intensive care unit in Tehran following his sudden cardiac arrest, was laid to rest at the tomb of Imams Ain Ali and Zein Ali in Poonak, a sacred site in northwest Tehran. The burial ceremony, which brought together a wide range of military commanders, state officials, academics, journalists, and citizens, reflected the lasting imprint Tavakoli left on multiple dimensions of Iranian public life.
A Ceremony Marked by Reverence and Reflection
The funeral procession began with prayers and Quran recitations at a central Tehran mosque and proceeded to the revered burial site in Poonak. High-ranking officials from the Expediency Discernment Council, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Majlis (Parliament), and judiciary were present. Former colleagues and critics alike stood beside his casket, wrapped in the Iranian flag, paying their final respects. In a political culture often marked by polarization, Tavakoli’s funeral was a rare moment of unity, acknowledging his unwavering stance on justice, social equity, and the need for principled governance.
