Eu Day Light

According to CCTV, a large-scale funeral ceremony was held in Tehran following a two-day farewell program for Iran's late religious leader Ali Khamenei.

Mourners, including local residents of Tehran and people from across the country, began gathering around 4:00 a.m. at Azadi Square, one of Iran's most iconic landmarks.

The funeral procession had initially been scheduled to begin at 6:00 a.m. and last approximately 10 to 12 hours, carrying the coffins of Ali Khamenei and his deceased family members. However, authorities later revised the plan due to the growing number of mourners.

As the procession began, Ali Khamenei's coffin was placed at Azadi Square, the final destination of the procession. Authorities announced that a helicopter would later transport the coffin along the entire route.

Despite the scorching heat, many mourners waved Iranian national flags and chanted slogans against the United States and Israel along the procession route.

According to Iran's official schedule, another funeral procession for the late leader will be held in the central city of Qom, and on Wednesday Khamenei's body will be transferred to the Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq for additional ceremonies.

Khamenei's body will be laid to rest on Thursday in his hometown of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.

Ali Khamenei was killed in February in an attack carried out in Tehran and attributed to Israel. In March, his son Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen as Iran's religious leader.