Prayers mark second day of Iran leader Khamenei's funeral

Iran is observing the second day of extensive funeral ceremonies for its former Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, who died at the age of 86. Large crowds have gathered in Tehran to pay their final respects, according to reports from The Japan Times.

Authorities have not yet announced who will lead the prayers for Khamenei, who guided Iran from 1989 until his death on February 28 in a sudden U.S.-Israel airstrike. Hassan Hassanzadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guard in Tehran, stated that prayers would be held for the "martyred leader's holy body" at 8:00 AM local time, as reported by state television.

Khamenei's son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared publicly since his designation as the supreme leader and is reportedly injured from the same attack. Sunday, July 5, has been declared a national holiday. In the evening, Khamenei's body will be moved from the Grand Mosalla complex in preparation for a procession through the capital scheduled for Monday, July 6.

On Saturday, supporters of the Islamic Republic gathered for the start of public funeral ceremonies, which authorities hope will serve as a message of defiance following the outbreak of war with the U.S. and Israel. Mourners, dressed in black and waving blood-red flags symbolizing vengeance and justice, beat their chests and chanted "death to America" and "revenge, revenge."

Mohammad Mirsalehi, a 38-year-old cleric, described Khamenei as a father figure, stating, "With his departure, we are all now orphans." Photos showed Khamenei's coffin, topped with his black turban, alongside the coffins of four family members, including an infant granddaughter, who also died in the February 28 attack. Authorities anticipate over 10 million people will participate in the ceremonies in Tehran alone.