Thousands of mourners gathered at Imam Khomeini Mosalla Grand Mosque in Tehran on Saturday as week-long funeral ceremonies for Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continued.
According to Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, the ceremonies began with the national anthem, Quran recitations and religious tributes, while Khamenei’s coffin was placed in a glass case to allow mourners to pay their respects.
Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on February 28, followed by Iranian retaliatory attacks.
Iran’s national airline added special flights on the Tehran-Mashhad route to accommodate the growing number of people travelling to attend the funeral ceremonies.
Foreign leaders and official delegations from across the region also attended the memorial events, including Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Iraqi President Nizar Amidi, Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani, and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir.
According to the official schedule, memorial events will continue in Tehran through the weekend, with the main funeral procession set for July 6, before the ceremonies move to Qom on July 7.