Mourners pay respects as Iran’s slain leader Ali Khamenei lies in state

Iran begins seven-day state funeral for late ayatollah as more than 100 foreign delegations arrive under a tense ceasefire.A seven-day series of state funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has begun in Iran, with foreign delegations from more than 100 countries arriving to attend.Khamenei’s body lay in state in a vast hall in Tehran on Friday as scholars, officials, foreign dignitaries and other mourners paid their respects after his 37-year rule.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Mapping Iran’s Ali Khamenei funeral: Where mourners will gather each daylist 2 of 3Khamenei’s coffin readied as Iran prepares for seven-day funerallist 3 of 3Iran’s Khamenei funeral: Which world leaders are attending?end of listHis coffin was unveiled late on Thursday to a throng of sobbing supporters. On Friday, the coffin – and those of family members killed with him – was laid in state in Tehran’s Grand Mosalla, the great prayer hall built to honour his predecessor, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.Khamenei, 86, was killed alongside several relatives – including his daughter, son-in-law and three-year-old granddaughter – in an air strike on February 28, the first day of the joint US-Israel war on Iran. His son, Mojtaba Khamenei, formally succeeded him as supreme leader weeks later.The burial was scheduled for March, but the subsequent months-long conflict delayed the funeral rites until this week.Khamenei’s coffin was draped in a flag that previously flew over the Shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala, according to a post on his official X account. The red banner, featuring white lettering, was described by the Iranian government in a separate social media post as a symbol of resistance, sacrifice, and devotion.Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian paid respects to Khamenei on Friday, state media reported. Foreign officials, including Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Iraqi President Nizar Amidi, and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, were also expected.