Iran don start several days of public mourning and funeral processions for dia former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, more dan four months after he bin die for strikes wey US and Israel launch.
The former Ayatollah body go lie for state inside Tehran Grand Mosalla from Friday, before dem go bury am for im hometown, Mashhad, next Thursday.
Iranian authorities say 12 to 20 million people expected to attend, wey dem dey call am the ‘funeral of the century’.
This one come as Iran and United States dey observe fragile ceasefire after dem sign preliminary deal to stop dia conflict for June.
Six days of ceremonies go start at 06:00 (03:30 BST) on Saturday, for Tehran Imam Khomeini Mosalla, wey visitors fit visit to pay dia respects until Sunday afternoon.
There go be official funeral ceremony for Tehran on Saturday, wey Tehran-based Mohammad Rasulullah Corps dey lead.
The group commander, Hassan Hassanzadeh, say Khamenei coffin go display on elevated platform, with crowd flows wey dem design to allow visitors enter and leave within 15 to 20 minutes.
Khamenei body go lie for Grand Mosalla for three days, alongside remains of family members wey also die for US and Israeli strikes for February.
Authorities don order public and private offices for Tehran to close from Saturday through Monday, while traffic restrictions go shut down most of city centre to private vehicles, AFP report.
The airspace over Tehran go partially close from Friday and fully close on Monday.
On Tuesday, events go move to Qom, just south of Tehran, where senior Shia cleric go lead funeral prayers for Jamkaran – one of Iran most prominent and symbolic religious sites.
Khamenei body go then travel to Najaf for Iraq on Wednesday.
After procession for shrine of Imam Ali, Shia Islam first imam, ceremonies go continue for Karbala before body return to Iran.
Iranian officials say the Iraq events follow requests from Iraqi groups, with some analysts seeing dem as representative of Khamenei influence across Shia Muslim world and Iran religious and political ties across region.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visit Baghdad to coordinate arrangements, saying funeral get ‘symbolic importance’.
On Thursday, Khamenei go bury for city of im birth, Mashhad, at Imam Reza Shrine, mausoleum of Shia Islam eighth imam and Iran most important pilgrimage site, wey dey attract millions of visitors every year.
Representatives from multiple countries expected to attend ceremonies, including Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Ceremonies go continue across country for 40 days, with commemorative events planned until first anniversary of Khamenei burial.
Khamenei bin succeed by im son, Mojtaba, wey never appear for public since he become supreme leader.
Key questions around ceremony centre on whether Mojtaba go attend funeral.
Last week, secretary of organising committee, Ali Akbar Pourjamshidian, say any decision on Mojtaba attendance go announce by offices of armed forces commander-in-chief and supreme leader.
Questions also remain about who go lead funeral prayer, as for Shia tradition the role carry religious and political significance.
