Teary-eyed Iran officials at slain leader's funeral; foreign dignitaries pay tributes | Highlights

Khamenei funeral highlights: Delegates and leaders mourn at the funeral ceremony of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on February 28 during Israeli and US airstrikes on Iran, in Tehran on Friday.

Emotional scenes unfolded at funeral ceremony of Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran as top Iran leaders, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, were seen weeping. Khamenei's body arrived at Tehran's Grand Mosalla religious complex on Friday ahead of his funeral, state media reported.

Workers spent Thursday preparing Tehran's Grand Mosalla religious complex for the funeral, while security personnel stopped passing vehicles as crowds gathered to watch the arrangements.

Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf called on people on Thursday to attend the funeral in large numbers, saying a massive turnout would be a way to avenge the supreme leader's death in US Israeli strikes on the opening day of the war.

Officials expect between 15 million and 20 million people to attend the ceremonies, which would make it the largest state funeral in Iran's history.

Public holidays have been declared in Tehran, as well as in the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad, where the later stages of the funeral and burial ceremonies will take place.

Authorities have ordered all public and private offices in Tehran to remain closed from Saturday to Monday. Traffic restrictions will also keep much of the city centre closed to private vehicles.

Tehran's airspace will be partially closed from Friday and completely shut on Monday.

Iran warns US, Israel ahead of Khamenei's funeral

Funeral ceremonies for Khamenei will begin in Tehran on July 4 and conclude with his burial in his hometown of Mashhad on July 9. Other memorial events are also scheduled to take place in Qom and Iraq during the intervening days.

"We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the U.S. and the Zionist regime (Israel), to avoid any miscalculation and to think about the harsh retaliation our armed forces would make to any threat and aggression against our country,” Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said in a statement carried by state media.

On Wednesday, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi issued a similar warning, saying Tehran would respond immediately and forcefully to any threat against its people or leadership. His remarks came after Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said Iran's current Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was "marked for death."

Iran's warning to tankers crossing Hormuz

"Any failure to comply, deviation from the designated route, or disregard for the navigation protocols of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with an immediate and forceful response from the armed forces, endangering the security of the violating vessels," the Iranian statement said.

It also warned that any interference by US forces in the strait "will be met with a rapid and decisive reaction."

Under an interim agreement, Iran and the United States agreed to allow ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without paying transit charges for 60 days. However, Tehran said that it would retain control over shipping routes and impose passage fees after the temporary arrangement ends,

US believed Israel was plotting to kill Iran ceasefire negotiators: Report

The United States asked several countries in the West Asia to warn Iran about possible Israeli assassination attempts targeting senior officials in Tehran that could jeopardise the ceasefire talks that began in early April, The New York Times reported, citing current and former American officials.

According to the report, US concerns grew over the possibility of attacks on two senior Iranian figures, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, during the fragile ceasefire negotiations that started in April.

Concerned that any Israeli assassination attempt could derail the negotiations, the US, according to several officials, requested countries in the region to alert Iran that Israel could target the two leaders.