Tehran, July 4 -- Iran on Saturday began an elaborate five-day funeral ceremony for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, drawing millions of mourners, senior Iranian officials and foreign dignitaries to Tehran in a display aimed at underscoring national unity and the resilience of the Islamic Republic following the leader's assassination in a war unleashed by the US and Israel on February 28.
The funeral commemorations will stretch from the streets of Tehran to the holy cities of Qom, Najaf, Karbala and finally Mashhad, where he will be laid to rest.
The public farewell commenced at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla, where coffins carrying Khamenei and several members of his family, including his daughter, daughter-in-law, son-...