Thousands Gather At Ali Khamenei's Funeral In Tehran; Mourners Weep, Chant 'Revenge'

Thousands of mourners gathered at Tehran's Grand Mosallah as Iran began dayslong funeral ceremonies for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an airstrike at the start of the Iran war on February 28. Authorities unveiled Khamenei's casket in a glass case as mourners wept, carried banners and flags, and chanted calls for "revenge" during emotional scenes in the Iranian capital. The funeral ceremonies are expected to draw millions of people and are being compared to the historic funeral of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989. The large public turnout comes at a critical time for Iran, amid ongoing tensions with Israel and diplomatic negotiations with the United States over a permanent end to the conflict and the future of the Strait of Hormuz.