Tehran: Iran began the funeral procession of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei through its capital, Tehran, on Monday.
Khamenei's flag-draped coffin, along with those of his family members who were killed on February 28 in an airstrike at the start of the war launched by Israel and the United States, is being carried on a truck.
The coffins will be taken through the streets of Tehran before being transported to Mehrabad International Airport.
Iran's theocracy expects large crowds to attend the ceremony across the city to demonstrate popular support for the government. Iranian state television reported that the procession had begun.
Authorities have shut down streets, airspace and much of daily life during the mourning period, which began on July 4 and will end on July 9 , when the 86-year-old Khamenei will be buried at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace.
Hundreds of thousands of mourners chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” as they called for revenge over the February 28 attack that killed the 86-year-old supreme leader and other top officials, triggering the war. Some hard-liners also called for the assassination of US President Donald Trump.
Mojtaba still in hiding; other sons attend funeral
Iran's top officials and the brothers of the new supreme leader appeared in public on Sunday to attend funeral prayers for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Their appearance signalled confidence in their safety as Iran pushes back against US demands during negotiations aimed at permanently ending the war.
Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has yet to appear at the funeral ceremonies, which are taking place over several days. He is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the airstrike that killed his father.
At the height of the war, before the April ceasefire, Israel targeted senior leaders, in at least one case, reportedly using a public appearance to pinpoint their location. It has also threatened to kill the younger Khamenei.
The United States is meanwhile pressing ahead with negotiations with Iran aimed at fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, rolling back its disputed nuclear programme and reaching a permanent end to the war. Talks appear to be on hold until after the burial.
As the funeral has continued, however, threats from mourners to avenge Khamenei's death have grown louder. Mourners and the placards they carried called for the killing of both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
US federal authorities have been tracking Iranian threats against Trump and other administration officials for years, stemming from Trump's order to kill Gen. Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the elite Quds Force, in 2020. Iran has repeatedly denied plotting to kill Trump, though hard-line propaganda has long portrayed him as a target.
Trump, meanwhile, threatened during the war to destroy Iran's civilisation, among other warnings.
“Today that we are here for the funeral for our leader, it's a very tough day," mourner Fatima Hassan said on Monday morning. "We are not here to say goodbye to him, we are here for revenge. And we will take revenge.”
