Shia religious leader Jafar Sobhani led the funeral prayer. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander and head of the funeral organizing committee, Hassan Hassanzadeh, confirmed this information, citing Iran's state television.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed at the age of 86 in a joint attack by the United States and Israel on February 28. He had been serving as Iran's Supreme Leader since 1989.

After Khamenei's death, his son Mojtaba Ali Khamenei was declared the new Supreme Leader. However, he has not appeared in public since being injured in the same attack. It has been reported that he did not participate in the funeral ceremonies due to security reasons.

A public holiday was declared across Iran on Sunday on the occasion of the funeral. Strict security measures have been implemented in the capital, Tehran. Precautionary measures have also been taken to avoid possible accidents due to excessive crowds.

Earlier, Khamenei's state mourning ceremonies began in Tehran on Friday. Along with foreign representatives, millions of people participated in the second day's mourning program on Saturday. According to observers, this is one of the largest gatherings in Iran since the funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.

According to the official program, a mourning procession will be held in the capital on Monday. Afterwards, Khamenei's coffin will be taken to Qom, Iraq, and finally to Mashhad in the northeast. He will be buried there on Thursday.

Following recent conflicts with the United States and Israel, Iranian authorities are trying to portray this massive gathering as a symbol of national unity and resistance.

Source: AFP