Tens of thousands of mourners dressed in black filled the courtyard of Tehran's Grand Mosalla on the first day of farewell ceremonies for the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Many carried red banners, seen in Shia Islam as a symbol of martyrdom and vengeance, in an atmosphere of deep grief and anger over his killing at the start of the US-Israel war on Iran in February. Participants described the loss as a deeply personal family tragedy, with people arriving spontaneously despite road closures to mourn as if they had lost their own father. The former supreme leader's body will lie in state in Tehran until July 6, before being moved to Qom and Iraq, ahead of his burial in Mashhad. #Tehran #Khamenei #MiddleEast