TEHRAN, July 6(UNIPA News) — Iran has begun a state funeral procession in Tehran for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with authorities organizing nationwide mourning ceremonies aimed at drawing large public participation.

Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin, along with the coffins of four family members killed in an airstrike on Feb. 28 at the outset of the conflict involving Israel and the United States, was transported through the streets of Tehran toward Mehrabad International Airport.

The funeral procession started from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, where state television broadcast images of thousands of mourners gathered for prayers. Khamenei’s sons Mostafa, Meysam and Masoud were seen praying beside the coffins, while Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father as Iran’s supreme leader, did not appear publicly during the ceremony.

Iranian authorities have closed major roads, restricted airspace and suspended normal daily activities as part of a week-long period of national mourning. The funeral ceremonies are scheduled to conclude on Thursday with Khamenei’s burial at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace.

The government has also planned additional funeral processions, including ceremonies at Shi’ite religious sites in neighboring Iraq, as part of the official mourning program.

The funeral follows weeks of conflict that ended with a fragile ceasefire. Meanwhile, negotiations between the United States and Iran on broader issues, including maritime security and Iran’s nuclear program, are expected to remain on hold until after the burial ceremonies.