By Rédaction Africanews and AP
Hundreds of thousands of mourners have gathered in Iran for the funeral ceremonies of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Crowds dressed in black filled the roads leading to the Jamkaran Mosque near the city of Qom, surrounding the vehicle carrying his coffin as state television broadcast aerial images of the procession.
The mosque holds deep religious significance for Shiite Muslims, who believe it was once visited by the hidden Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi.
Images of Ayatollah Khamenei and his son and successor, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, were displayed throughout the crowds. However, the new supreme leader has not appeared in public during the ceremonies and is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the airstrike that killed his father.
Authorities have imposed extensive security measures, closing roads and airspace as the country observes several days of national mourning.
The funeral ceremonies began on Saturday and will conclude on Thursday, when Ayatollah Khamenei is laid to rest at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, the northeastern city where he was born.
