Bodies of martyred Leader, family arrive in Mashhad ahead of final funeral rites

The plane carrying the bodies of the martyred Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and members of his family arrived at Mashhad's Shahid Hasheminejad International Airport on Thursday ahead of the final funeral procession and burial ceremonies.

The arrival came after a delay caused by the massive turnout of mourners in Iraq, where millions took part in farewell ceremonies in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala.

The committee overseeing the receiving and burying of the late Leader's body in Mashhad said that, due to the Iraqi people's magnificent and unprecedented reception, the funeral procession was rescheduled from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time on Thursday.

During the ceremony, the body of Ayatollah Khamenei will be carried along Imam Reza (AS) Street toward the shrine of the eighth Shia Imam for the final rites.

The Leader was assassinated, alongside some of his family members, on February 28, the first day of the 40-day illegal war of aggression waged by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran.

The multi-day funeral began on Friday with Ayatollah Khamenei's body lying in state at Tehran's Imam Khomeini Mosalla, where foreign dignitaries and religious figures paid their respects. It continued on Saturday and Sunday with a public farewell and funeral prayers.

On Monday, millions of Iranians packed the streets of Tehran as the funeral convoy made its way through the capital before the ceremonies continued in the holy city of Qom on Tuesday.

The funeral then moved to Iraq, where historic farewell ceremonies were held in Najaf, home to the shrine of Imam Ali (AS), the first Shia Imam, and in Karbala, home to the shrines of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shia Imam, and his brother Hazrat Abbas (AS). Millions of mourners took part in the commemorations before the bodies returned to Mashhad for the final stage of the funeral.

Iranians from across the country have travelled to Mashhad to bid farewell to the martyred Leader.

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