Ayatollah Khamenei's funeral ceremonies drawing massive crowds

The dayslong funeral procession of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei continued on Monday, more than four months after he was killed in a U.S. military airstrike. His flag-draped coffin lay in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla for two days before the procession through the capital began on Monday.

Tens of thousands of men and women gathered in the streets to meet the traveling coffin. Attendees waved Iranian flags and raised various chants, including “Death to America,” “Death to Israel,” “Death to hypocrites," and “Revenge, Revenge.” His coffin is scheduled to continue traveling to the Iranian holy city of Qom before heading to Shiite holy sites in Iraq.

The funeral kicked off on America’s semiquincentennial and came weeks into indirect negotiations with the United States over the recently brokered peace memorandum of understanding pausing the war. Representatives from over 70 countries participated in Khamenei’s historic commemoration, according to a Saturday statement from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Where is the new Ayatollah? Khamenei’s son and successor, Mojtaba, is notably absent from the funeral. The 56-year-old was rumored to have suffered serious injuries during an airstrike, and his condition remained unclear.