Huge crowds gathered in Tehran on Monday for the funeral procession of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who died recently. Mourners waved Iranian flags and red banners symbolizing vengeance.
The funeral ceremonies are taking place less than three weeks after Iran and the United States signed a preliminary agreement to end a war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global oil and gas shipments. The two nations have also set a two-month deadline to reach a final agreement on Iran's nuclear program, U.S. sanctions, and a permanent truce.
Mediator Qatar announced that Iranian and U.S. negotiators made positive progress during indirect talks in Doha last week, following a four-day exchange of strikes. Their next meeting is scheduled to occur after the conclusion of Khamenei's funeral events.
Further funeral ceremonies are planned for Tuesday in the central city of Qom, a significant center for Iran's Shia Muslim clergy. The procession will then move to the Iraqi shrine cities of Karbala and Najaf on Wednesday, concluding on Thursday with Khamenei's burial at the Imam Reza shrine in his hometown of Mashhad, located in northeastern Iran.