In brief
The former Iranian supreme leader’s funeral draws thousands of loyalists in Tehran and across Iran and Iraq. The six‑day ceremony will culminate in his burial in Mashhad on Thursday. BBC correspondent Lyse Doucet reports from the funerary complex, where mourners view the body lying in state. The event underscores the deep political divisions within Iran after the leader’s death. The siege of his life continues to echo in the nation’s political sphere.
During a day of mourning that could be called a deeply political moment, thousands of loyalists gathered in Tehran to pay tribute to Iran’s former supreme leader who was shot down in a joint US‑Israeli airstrike at the opening of the conflict.
Government‑run media said the nation would host a six‑day ceremony that will span several locations in Iran and neighbouring Iraq, before the former leader’s body is buried in Mashhad on Thursday.
BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet was on the ground in the capital, reporting from the complex where the leader’s body is lying in state and large crowds await the next stage of the rites.
The funeral is expected to solidify the divisions inside Iran’s political establishment, while the depictions of the leader’s passing reaffirm the consequences of the war’s recent escalations.
"The BBC’s chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet is reporting from Tehran on condition that none of her material is used on the BBC's Persian Service. These restrictions apply to all international media organisations operating in Iran."
