Breaking News: Funeral Ceremonies for Iran’s Former Supreme Leader Begin
Vast crowds of Iranians loyal to the Islamic Republic have gathered in Tehran for the first day of funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was killed in joint US-Israeli airstrikes at the start of the war.
Iranian state media report that the ceremonies will last six days, taking place at several locations across Iran and neighboring Iraq. Khamenei will be buried in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday.
The BBC’s chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, is in Tehran covering the event. People are preparing to visit the vast complex where Khamenei is lying in state.
Doucet’s reporting is under restrictions that prevent its use on the BBC’s Persian Service. These restrictions apply to all international media organizations operating in Iran.
