Iran has begun several days of public mourning and funeral ceremonies for its former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, more than four months after he was killed in joint US and Israeli air strikes….
Iran has begun several days of public mourning and funeral ceremonies for its former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, more than four months after he was killed in joint US and Israeli air strikes.
Khamenei’s body will lie in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla from Friday ahead of a series of funeral processions that will culminate in his burial in his hometown of Mashhad next Thursday.
Iranian authorities expect millions of mourners to attend the ceremonies across several cities.
The funeral comes as Iran and the United States continue to observe a fragile ceasefire following a preliminary agreement reached in June to halt hostilities.
According to Iranian officials, Khamenei’s body will remain at the Grand Mosalla for three days alongside the remains of members of his family who were also killed in the February strikes.
An official state funeral is scheduled to take place in Tehran on Saturday before the cortege moves to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq and finally to Mashhad for burial.
Authorities have announced the closure of public and private offices in Tehran from Saturday to Monday, while traffic restrictions will be enforced across much of the city centre. Parts of Tehran’s airspace will also be closed during the funeral period to strengthen security.
Several foreign dignitaries are expected to attend the ceremonies, including Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif.
Khamenei, who led Iran for more than three decades, was succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained out of public view since assuming the country’s top leadership role.
