Iran held a massive funeral procession in Tehran for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose coffin was paraded through the capital before burial in Mashhad. Thousands attended the state ceremony amid heightened security and anti-US, anti-Israel slogans. The event underscored escalating regional tensions as nuclear negotiations remain stalled following the recent war.

Tehran: Iran began a procession Monday through its capital, Tehran, for the funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Khamenei's flag-draped coffin, and those of his family killed Feb. 28 in an airstrike at the start of the war launched by Israel and the United States, sat on board a truck. Authorities decorated the truck's side to resemble the ornamental grating that surrounds the shrine of an imam.

The coffins will be taken through the streets of Tehran on their way to Mehrabad International Airport over a 12-hour journey, said Revolutionary Guard Gen. Hasan Hasanzsdeh, who is overseeing the procession.

Iran's theocracy plans to see large crowds attend the ceremony across the city to show popular support for the government. Already, thousands have gathered at squares in Tehran, waving flags and banners in Khamenei's honor.