Iran on Monday began a state funeral procession for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with thousands of mourners filling the streets of Tehran as authorities sought to project national unity following his death.
Khamenei's flag-draped coffin, along with the coffins of family members killed in a Feb. 28 airstrike at the start of the conflict involving Israel and the United States, was carried through the capital on a truck as the procession moved toward Mehrabad International Airport.
Iranian state television broadcast live images of mourners chanting slogans and waving flags as the procession got underway in Islamic Revolution Square.
The government has shut down major roads, closed the country's airspace and suspended normal activities for the mourning period, which is expected to conclude on Thursday with Khamenei's burial at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace.
Officials are expecting large crowds to attend the ceremonies, presenting the turnout as a demonstration of public support for Iran's leadership during a period of heightened regional tensions.
Iranian state television said, "The funeral procession has begun," as live coverage showed thousands accompanying the cortege through Tehran.
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