Iran Begins Funeral Procession for Ali Khamenei

The Iranian government has begun the first stage of the funeral procession for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with foreign guests and religious figures paying their final respects at the Grand Mosalla in Tehran. The body of the leader and his close associates was brought to the Grand Mosalla on Friday morning and placed in the main hall ahead of a two-day public viewing ceremony. Representatives from Islamic centres, community groups, and anti-war and anti-hegemony movements from several European countries, including Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Australia, have arrived in Tehran to attend or cover the funeral proceedings. The ceremonies will continue on Saturday and Sunday, with Khamenei’s body remaining at the Grand Mosalla, before the next stage of the funeral procession on Monday. Subsequent processions are scheduled to take place in the city of Qom, followed by separate events in the Iraqi cities of Baghdad, Karbala, and Najaf, before the final burial in Mashhad on Thursday.