He was killed in the United States-Israeli joint strike at the beginning of the war on February 28. According to media reports, Khamenei's remains arrived for the huge ceremonies prepared in at least five cities across Iran and Iraq, starting July 2.

The Saturday funeral is likely to draw millions of people, including a coterie of foreign dignitaries, government officials said. Meanwhile, photos posted by Iranian media and international agencies showed mourners carrying the coffin of the late Supreme Leader, emblazoned with the country's tricolour flag, into the Grand Mosalla, a major ceremonial venue of the Islamic Republic.

Why was Ali Khamenei's funeral ceremony delayed?

Other photos showed crowds gathered at a pre-funeral ceremony dressed in black as the coffin was placed against a backdrop of flowers and butterflies hanging in the air. Arrangements for Khamenei's public funeral, delayed at the peak of the war, are being held in Tehran, with large-scale processions scheduled next week in Qom and Mashhad and ceremonies in Iraq. The events came as Tehran and the US observed a fragile ceasefire following a preliminary agreement to halt the conflict.

Who is expected to attend the funeral?

Pakistan, a key mediator in the US-Iran talks, said its Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would attend the funeral ceremony of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Meanwhile, Bihar governor Syed Ata Hasnain and Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita will represent India at the ceremony. Afghanistan, China, and Iran's neighbours in the Caucasus region also announced plans to send representatives, reports added.

Khamenei to lie in state for 3 days at colossal Grand Mosalla

Khamenei (86), a spiritual figure for many Shias, was assassinated in US-Israeli strikes on his compound in Tehran. He will lie in state for 3 days at the colossal Grand Mosalla, which is adorned with banners featuring quotes of Khamenei. The bodies of his dead relatives will also be presented at the funeral, making it the biggest state funeral ever held in the country.

Following the ceremonies in Iran, Khamenei's body will be taken to Najaf and Karbala in Iraq before his burial on July 9 at the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, his birthplace.

Where is Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's body till now?

Rumours suggest that his body was temporarily buried. However, Iranian officials have insisted the delay was caused by extremely volatile conditions of the active war with the US and Israel. They also said the Ayatollah's body was kept in accordance with religious requirements. Islam generally discourages chemical embalming.

Counterterrorism expert Dr Mohammed Omar told Fox News Digital that the Ayatollah's remains were 'almost certainly refrigerated cold storage, not embalming, as Islam bars chemical embalming.'

'Shia law allows delayed burial and preservation by cold in exceptional cases, and a clerical exemption for a supreme leader is easy to get,' he added.