Summary According to Iranian officials, Ayatollah Khamenei will be laid to rest within the precincts of the holy shrine of Imam Ali Raza
MASHHAD (Dunya News) - Iranian authorities have completed all arrangements for the burial of the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, while hundreds of thousands of mourners have gathered on the streets of Mashhad ahead of the final funeral ceremony.
According to Iranian officials, Ayatollah Khamenei will be laid to rest within the precincts of the holy shrine of Imam Ali Raza (AS), where final preparations for the burial have entered their last stage.
Iranian media reported that Mashhad is currently hosting around 470,000 foreign visitors from 27 countries, many of whom have arrived to participate in the funeral ceremonies.
Earlier, a funeral procession was held in Iraq, where funeral prayers for the late Iranian leader were offered at the shrine of Imam Ali (RA) in Najaf.
His body was then taken in a historic procession to Karbala, where millions of mourners gathered to pay their respects.
Iranian authorities said the funeral schedule has remained unchanged despite the recent attacks.
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The first phase of the funeral ceremonies was held in Tehran, followed by funeral prayers in Qom the next day.
The body was then transported to the Iraqi holy cities of Karbala and Najaf before being returned to Iran for the final burial.
Officials also said that damage to the railway link between Tehran and Mashhad, reportedly caused by recent US strikes, did not affect the funeral arrangements.
The final phase of the funeral and burial ceremony was originally scheduled to begin at 6:00 a.m. local time on Thursday but has now been delayed by eight hours.
According to Iranian authorities, the delay was not caused by the recent US attacks but by exceptionally large crowds that gathered in Iraq on Wednesday, resulting in adjustments to the funeral schedule.
