Millions Mourn Iran's Supreme Leader as Funeral Begins in Tehran

Large crowds of black-clad mourners gathered outside Tehran's main mosque on Saturday to pay their respects to Iran's former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on the first day of his funeral ceremonies. His body is lying in state at the Grand Mosalla, ahead of burial in his hometown of Mashhad next week.

Authorities expect 15 to 20 million people to attend events across Iran and Iraq over the coming days. The funeral takes place more than four months after Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli strikes in late February, a strike that quickly escalated into a wider regional conflict.

Masses of supporters chanted slogans against the United States and called for revenge for the ayatollah's killing. 'We came because we promised the supreme leader we would stand by him to the very end,' said 37-year-old professor Reza, speaking to AFP in the Grand Mosalla's courtyard. 'For a long time, we shouted that we would sacrifice our lives for the leader, but it was he who sacrificed himself for us.'

Another mourner, Arash Rahimi, 40, told Reuters: 'Everyone here has come to avenge the blood of their supreme leader. As our leader has said, we have a blood feud with the United States. Our relations with the United States will never be good.'

US President Donald Trump said Iran's government was 'dying to settle' a peace deal to end the war after a preliminary agreement was struck, adding on Friday: 'We gave them [Iran] a week off for a funeral because we're nice.'

Much of central Tehran is locked down over the weekend as the funeral ceremony proceeds. It is expected to be the largest funeral ever in terms of attendees relative to the country's population. Khamenei's body will lie in the Grand Mosalla for three days, alongside the remains of family members who were also killed in the airstrikes. Three further days of events outside the capital will follow.