Thousands Of Iranians Hold Tributes For Late Supreme Leader Khamenei

Thousands of Iranians gathered across the country on Thursday to pay tribute to former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly four decades before he was killed in US-Israeli strikes at the outbreak of the Middle East war.

Khamenei was succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, but he has not appeared in public since before the war, making it unlikely that he would attend the ceremonies held nationwide on Thursday.

Images aired on state television showed large crowds participating in memorial rallies, many carrying portraits of the late leader, in cities including Urmia in the northwest, Gorgan in the northeast and the capital, Tehran.

The national tribute began at 9:40 a.m. local time (0610 GMT), marking the exact time Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28 at his residence in Tehran, alongside several senior Iranian officials.

That strike marked the beginning of the Middle East war, which quickly spread across the region, prompting Iran to retaliate against US interests in the Gulf and launch strikes on Israel.

A state funeral for the late leader has yet to be held due to the ongoing conflict.