Citizens of Iran hold prayers for the late Ayatollah Khamenei, with his son notably absent from the ceremony

Iranian leaders gathered on Sunday to pay their respects to the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, whose casket was the focal point of a second day of funeral ceremonies, although his son and designated successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, was noticeably absent from the proceedings.

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The elder Khamenei had been at the helm of the Islamic republic since 1989, until his life was cut short at the age of 86 in an airstrike that marked the beginning of the US-Israeli war with Iran on February 28.

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High-ranking officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and Revolutionary Guards chief Ahmad Vahidi, were in attendance at Sunday's ceremonies, which drew massive crowds of mourners in Tehran.

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However, Mojtaba Khamenei has not made a public appearance since his appointment in early March, reportedly due to injuries sustained in the attack that claimed his father's life.

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The late supreme leader's other sons, Masoud, Mostafa, and Meysam, were all present at the service, which took place at Tehran's Grand Mosalla religious complex and was led by the esteemed Shia cleric Ja'far Sobhani, a 97-year-old scholar affiliated with seminaries in the holy city of Qom.

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Sunday was declared a public holiday across Iran, as the nation came together to mourn the loss of its former leader.

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Later in the day, preparations were underway to move Khamenei's body from the Grand Mosalla, where it lay in state, to facilitate processions through the capital on Monday.

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The Grand Mosalla complex and surrounding streets were overflowing with mourners on Sunday morning, with many being handed refreshments as they navigated the crowds, some carrying Iranian flags or portraits of the late Khamenei.

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Authorities anticipate that over 10 million people will participate in the ceremonies in the capital, prompting the implementation of strict security measures and warnings from official media about the risk of crowd crushes.

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According to Iran's official IRNA news agency, more than 4,000 people visited medical centres in and near Tehran's Mosalla on Sunday, although no fatalities were reported.

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Footage from state television showed prominent figures, including Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker, and Esmail Qaani, head of the Quds Force, in attendance at the prayers.

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Khamenei's coffin, adorned with the Iranian flag and his black turban, was placed alongside those of four relatives who also perished in the February strikes, including an infant granddaughter.

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A 38-year-old man, surnamed Miremadi, expressed his desire for justice, stating that "the killers (of Khamenei) must face punishment" as he attended the prayers.

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He cautioned that if the government proceeds with negotiations in its current manner, the people will not support it, instead seeking revenge rather than peace and negotiations.

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The funeral is being closely watched outside of Iran as a gauge of support for the government, following mass protests in January that were allegedly suppressed with a crackdown resulting in thousands of fatalities.

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A 39-year-old homemaker, surnamed Bakand, asserted that she was in attendance to demonstrate her support for the revolution and the leader, while also demanding revenge for the blood of her loved ones.

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Throughout his tenure, Khamenei pursued a course of confrontation with the West, and Tehran has long provided backing to anti-US and anti-Israel armed groups across the Middle East, including Palestinian Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah.

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Delegations from both Hamas and Hezbollah met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Saturday, according to Iranian state media, while representatives from Yemen's Houthi rebels and Hamas ally Palestinian Islamic Jihad also attended the funeral ceremonies.

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Following the processions through Tehran on Monday, Khamenei's coffin will be transported to Qom on Tuesday, then to neighbouring Iraq on Wednesday, before the burial takes place in his northeastern hometown of Mashhad on Thursday.