Thousands gather for funeral prayer of slain Iranian supreme leader in Mashhad

Mashhad (Web Desk): Funeral prayers for Iran's slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei were offered in Mashhad on Thursday, where millions of mourners gathered to pay their final respects.

According to Iranian media, before the funeral prayer, the coffins of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, his daughter Boshra Khamenei, son-in-law Mesbah al-Hoda Baqeri, daughter-in-law Zahra Haddad, and his young granddaughter Zahra Mohammadi were carried in a massive funeral procession to the shrine, attended by huge crowds of mourners.

The streets of Mashhad were packed with people as men, women, children, the elderly, and young mourners gathered to honour the deceased.

Participants carried Iranian flags, portraits of the slain leaders, and placards calling for retaliation.

Reports said Ayatollah Khamenei's body was flown from Najaf to Mashhad earlier in the day under heavy security.

Iranian Air Force fighter jets escorted the aircraft carrying his remains until it landed at Mashhad Airport.

Before being transferred to Iran, the body was taken to the holy shrines of Imam Hussain (AS) and Hazrat Abbas (AS) in Karbala, Iraq, where funeral prayers were also offered and thousands of mourners paid their last respects.

According to the Governor's Office, more than seven million people participated in the funeral procession. Official reports said Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei was killed in US and Israeli missile strikes on Tehran on February 28.