Watch | Tehran Flooded With Mourners as Funeral for Ayatollah Khamenei Begins

Huge crowds of mourners gathered on the streets of Tehran ahead of the funeral ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, scheduled to take place from July 4 through July 9, CNN reported.

Large numbers of residents dressed in black assembled in the capital, waving Iranian flags and singing ceremonial hymns, while some held portraits of the late leader.

The initial visual components of the casket holding the late Supreme Leader have emerged, depicting the coffin inside a room decorated with the country's colours.

A sacred red flag featuring white lettering from the shrine of Imam Hussein has been draped over the casket.

The historical flag serves as a "symbol of resistance, sacrifice, and unwavering devotion to truth," according to the Iranian government.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian expressed profound sorrow over the passing of the leader but emphasised national fortitude, urging citizens of all backgrounds to join the procession to present a unified front to the global community.

In a statement framing the path ahead, President Pezeshkian remarked that "This martyrdom is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new chapter of national unity, resilience, and progress," pointing out that "this system rests on the firm foundations of faith, ideals, and the will of a great nation."

What Are the Key Details of Ayatollah Khamenei’s Multi-City Funeral Across Iran and Iraq?

The extensive multi-day funeral arrangements will encompass multiple major cities across both Iran and Iraq, including Tehran, Qom, and Mashhad, alongside Najaf and Karbala.

The ceremonies come more than four months after the late leader died during an air strike on February 28 at the start of the conflict involving US and Israeli forces.

Maintaining public order and leadership safety remain the absolute focus for domestic security forces during what is anticipated to be one of the largest security deployments in the country's history.

Gholamhossein Mozaffari, the Governor of Razavi Khorasan Province, where the burial will take place, indicated that aviation assets could be utilised to oversee crowd movements.

Meanwhile, the current Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, will not be present at the funeral events for his father due to security concerns, according to his representative in India, Ayatollah Hakim Elahi.

The security environment remains heightened following statements from regional adversaries, including Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, who remarked that the late leader was "marked for death."

(With inputs from ANI)