Iran kicked off a large funeral procession Monday through its capital city of Tehran to honor the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei’s coffin, draped in a flag, along with the coffins of family members who died in an airstrike on February 28 — at the outset of the war launched by Israel and the United States — are being transported on a truck through Tehran’s streets.
The procession is making its way toward Mehrabad International Airport as part of the formal mourning ceremonies.
Iran’s theocratic government is expecting large crowds to turn out across the city, viewing the attendance as a public demonstration of support for the ruling regime.
Iranian state television confirmed the procession had officially gotten underway.
To accommodate the mourning period, authorities have closed off streets, restricted airspace, and brought much of daily life to a halt. The ceremonies are scheduled to wrap up Thursday, when the 86-year-old Khamenei will be laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace.
Meanwhile, the United States continues to push forward with diplomatic negotiations with Iran. Those talks are focused on fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, scaling back Iran’s disputed nuclear program, and achieving a lasting end to the ongoing war. However, negotiations appear to be paused until after the burial takes place.
