The body of Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran killed on February 28 in military strikes by the United States and Israel, has been brought to the Grand Mosalla Mosque complex in Tehran for the start of the funeral ceremonies.

According to the Iranian news agency Irna, the body was transferred to the mosque in preparation for public viewing. The complex will remain open day and night until Monday, according to AFP. The funeral ceremonies are expected to last approximately seven days, from July 4 to July 9, making them potentially the largest funeral in Iran's history. The Iranian government has announced expectations of up to 20 million participants.

A procession with the coffin will pass through the streets of Tehran before reaching the holy city of Qom on Tuesday. The ceremonies will conclude with burial at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, Khamenei's birthplace.

Nearly 100 countries are represented at the funeral through official delegations, individuals, and popular groups, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, which stated that European countries that supported the war against the Islamic Republic were not invited. Notable attendees include former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Chinese parliamentary official He Wei. A Taliban delegation from Afghanistan is also present, along with the president of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, the Armenian prime minister, and members of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces. Religious scholars and intellectuals from various countries including Indonesia, Afghanistan, Malaysia, Lebanon, Norway, Tunisia, Senegal, India, Argentina, and Mexico have also paid tribute according to Iranian media.

Ahmad Vahidi, the head of the Revolutionary Guards (Pasdaran), made his first public appearance since the beginning of the war, photographed praying over the coffin.

Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on social media that the death of the Supreme Leader had brought deep sorrow to the Iranian people and the Islamic community, adding that it marked the beginning of a new season of solidarity and resistance. He called on citizens of all ethnicities and political orientations to participate in the ceremonies.

The presence of Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Supreme Leader, at the ceremonies remains unclear.

The negotiations between the United States and Iran, which had been ongoing in Qatar, have been suspended for the duration of the funeral period. According to Il Giornale, a second round of talks is scheduled for July 18. US president Donald Trump, in a phone interview with Axios, said he agreed to pause negotiations and offensive actions for one week to allow Iranians to commemorate and bury Khamenei. Trump also stated he was surprised to see so many Iranians crying at the funeral, adding that he had thought people hated him, though he speculated the tears might be fake. He further said that the Iranians had accepted everything the US needed for a deal.

According to the New York Times, US sources indicated that Washington had warned Iran about a possible Israeli plan against foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the senior Iranian officials tasked with negotiating the ceasefire with the United States.

Ghalibaf announced that an agreement had been reached with Oman on a navigation mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz, based on Article 5 of the Memorandum of Understanding. Iran meanwhile warned that any American interference in the Strait of Hormuz would be met with a decisive and rapid response.