Large crowds gather in Tehran on first day of Ayatollah Khamenei's funeral

Huge crowds gathered in Tehran as Iran began six days of funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Dressed in black, thousands of mourners assembled at the Grand Mosalla, where his body is lying in state before being taken on a nationwide and regional funeral procession. Authorities expect between 15 and 20 million people to participate in commemorations across Iran and Iraq in the coming days.

Khamenei was killed in late February during joint US and Israeli strikes on Iran, an event that intensified regional tensions. Many mourners at the ceremony voiced support for the Islamic Republic and called for retaliation, while officials implemented extensive security measures and traffic restrictions across central Tehran ahead of the large gatherings.

The funeral procession will continue with ceremonies in Qom, followed by events in the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala before returning to Iran. Khamenei is scheduled to be laid to rest on Thursday at the Imam Reza Shrine in Mashhad, one of the country's holiest religious sites. Commemorative events are expected to continue for 40 days after the burial. Meanwhile, attention remains focused on Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since taking office, fueling continued speculation about his absence from public view.

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