Iran holds mass funeral prayer for slain supreme leader

The funeral ceremony for Khamenei and his family members drew hundreds of thousands of mourners, many of whom arrived at the venue in the early hours of the morning carrying Iranian flags.

The prayer at the major prayer complex was led by Ayatollah Jafar Sobhani. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, senior military and political officials, and religious figures were among those attending the ceremony.

Khamenei was killed in US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began on Feb. 28 and were followed by Iranian retaliation.

The funeral ceremonies officially began Friday, with foreign leaders and official delegations from across the region and beyond paying tribute to the late Iranian supreme leader.

According to the official schedule, public farewell ceremonies will be followed by the main funeral procession in Tehran on Monday.

The funeral rites will then move to Qom on July 7.

On July 8, ceremonies are scheduled in Iraq, including in Baghdad, Najaf and Karbala, where the body will be received by religious and political figures before being transferred to major Shia shrines.

The final funeral and burial ceremony is scheduled for July 9 at the Imam Ali Reza Shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad, one of Shia Islam’s holiest sites.