Full story
Khamenei funeral begins
Iran began several days of public funeral ceremonies for slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday, with thousands gathering at the Grand Mosalla prayer complex in Tehran as mourners beat their chests and chanted for revenge.
“Iran on Saturday officially began several days of public funeral ceremonies”
CBS News said the ceremonies were expected to draw an estimated 15 to 20 million people and that the funeral is to last from July 4 until July 9.
NPR reported that the flow of mourners at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla began arriving from before dawn before the national official funeral ceremony started around six o'clock local time.
BBC described the casket of Khamenei, topped with his black turban, being laid out next to the coffins of four family members killed with him on February 28 when the war began.
The BBC also said the ceremonies will last six days, with stops in Iraq, before the body is laid to rest in Mashhad in northeastern Iran.
Chants, delegations, warnings
Mourners at the Tehran ceremonies raised their fists to chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel," while others carried signs reading "Revenge" in Persian and English, according to BBC.
NPR reported that there were chants of "Death to America" and big red signs that read "#KillTrump," and it said women slapped their heads with their hands in mourning while men beat their chests in unison.
Foreign delegations and religious leaders joined the mourning, with CBS News saying delegations from Hamas and Hezbollah joined the mourning on Friday and others were expected to arrive Saturday.
CBS News also quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi saying, "This historic commemoration will remain an everlasting memory in the course of our shared relations," as Iranian officials said they expected some 15 to 20 million mourners.
In parallel, CBS News reported that Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi issued a "serious warning" to France and the U.K. after the two countries promised to assist Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
What comes next
The funeral schedule described by BBC places the main funeral procession on Monday, July 6, at 6:00 a.m. local time, with the funeral cortege spanning about 10 kilometers from Imam Hossein Square to Azadi Square.
“The main funeral procession is scheduled for Monday, July 6, at 6:00 a.m. local time”
BBC said the body will reach the holy city of Qom, 150 kilometers south of Tehran, on Tuesday, July 7, where it will rest at Jamkaran Mosque, before traveling to Iraq for ceremonies in Najaf and Karbala on July 8.
NPR said mourners will be able to visit Khamenei's body in Tehran until the end of the weekend, and it added that on Monday a funeral procession will take the body to the city of Qom before crossing into Iraq where he will be taken to Shia religious sites in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.
CBS News reported that Qatari and Pakistani mediators said Thursday the next meetings between Iranian and U.S. negotiators would be scheduled "at the earliest possible time" after funeral commemorations for Iran's former supreme leader.
CBS News also said Israel's departure from Lebanese territory remains a major sticking point in negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, while Hezbollah was not involved in the late-June ceasefire deal talks.
