Khamenei funeral begins in Najaf as Iraq mourners gather in thousands

Funeral processions for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei began on Wednesday in the Iraqi city of Najaf, with thousands of mourners taking part. The dayslong funeral began on Saturday in Iran, with authorities shutting down streets, airspace and daily life in Tehran as people commemorated the leader who had ruled the country for decades.

Khamenei's body arrived in Najaf on Tuesday and is due to be taken later on Wednesday to Karbala before returning to Iran. The funeral is unfolding as tensions remain high in the region, with talks between the United States and Iran appearing to be on hold until after the burial and fresh strikes raising fears that the interim agreement to end the months-long war in the Middle East could come under strain.

Khamenei was killed in late February in wide-scale US and Israeli strikes on Iran. He was among several senior Iranian leaders killed during the war. He was 86.